The Bodyguard
by goodytoe
Summary: He lost his parents, his family. Is he ready to lost his reputation and his hate for the upper class society for one Fuji Shuusuke? Rated for swearing and dark theme.
1. the black coffee

Disclaimer : me owns nothing. Tezuka and Fuji owns each other though XP

Warning : this is an AU fic, and no tennis included in this story. The setting is in a big city, which devided into 2 areas of lower and upper town. Upper town is where the rich is and the lower town.. well, you get the idea.

As for the age, go imagine Tezuka in his late 20, Inui and Oishi in their early 30. And Echizen is somewhere near 23.

Oh, a little potty mouth Inui and Echizen, I warn you. The characters are a bit OOC too.

It's the first fic I ever made.. Be gentle, please? And my deepest apology for my poor English.. It's not even my mother language, so.. (and this fic is un-beta'd)

Okay. Let the story begin…

* * *

Chapter 1

**The Black Coffee**

A pair of cold brown eyes of a bespectacled young man gazed trough the rain-soaked window. it was warm inside the coffee shop, but outside, the homeless peoples shivered in their thin clothes and torn blankets.

The tall young man sighed. With the dark clouds above, the pouring rain, and the dirty pavements out there, not to mention the gloomy looks of the homeless people, the lecherous grins of the thugs, and the dirty, dark alleys.. the lower town was certainly not a sight to behold at all. Even in the daylight, when the sky above looked stunningly blue and clear, the lower town always has a certain devastating atmosphere on it. Whether it's the mold covered wall of the old buildings or the equally moldy smell and looks of the occupants, it certainly is the picture of the lower town, if one ever mentions it.

"Hey Tezuka. Meeting Inui?" a young man with raven hair came out from the door near the counter of the coffee shop. A smile lightened his kind face. "Strong coffee, as usual?" he asked his last customer that night. Then again, the sign on the door clearly said 'closed', but this customer is a special case anyway. The man answered with a short "Hn".

So Oishi, the barista and the owner of the coffee shop ignore the faint sting in his left leg and made his way to the counter. A soft chuckle from Oishi and the creaking sound of the wooden floor ease the brown eyed man in a sense. "Always a man with so few words, aren't you, Tezuka?" Oishi said while dragging his left leg, preparing for the daily caffeine dose for Tezuka. "Where's your cane, Oishi?" Tezuka asked, noticing the obvious difficulty when Oishi walked here and there preparing his coffee. Oishi laughed. "inui 'repairs' it for me. Don't make me sound like an old man, Tezuka. If not for my shitty luck 3 years ago, I'd still be your partner in crime right now, you know."

"Partner in crime, indeed." Another voice joined their conversation. Surprised, Oishi almost drop the cup and the saucer in his hand. A relieved sigh escaped his lips when he saw a tall, black haired man with thick framed glasses in his right side.

"God, Inui, you scare me sometimes. How do you manage to do that?" Oishi said, pouring the freshly brewed coffee for Tezuka.

"Do what? Here, catch" Inui said as he throw a new, nicely polished cane for Oishi.

The barista caught it effortlessly. "Well, you know, you seem to just.. appeared from the air, coming without any sounds just like that," Oishi looked at the cane in his hand, observing it with keen eyes. "Oh, wow. Nicely carved, I see. Thanks Inui." Inui nods and took a seat beside Tezuka in the counter. " I put a small knife in the bottom part, as you wish. And I did not intend to come like I've just popped out anywhere I want, you see. It's just… a habit. A part of the job, you know. I need to save my ass first, cuz this Tezuka and another job seekers wont get any if their informant is killed, right? " Inui took off his glasses and wipe the water droplets in the lens with his handkerchief.

"Seriously though, if not for that stupid bullet shittin your left leg, you'd still be the one Tezuka working with right now. Not that little brat and his computer.."

"It's Echizen, Inui. He has a name, you know. And it's his job as a hacker to work with a computer, so get used to it. Here, Tezuka." Oishi handed Tezuka his coffee. "Anyway, giving Tezuka a new job, Inui?" Inui gave him a smug grin and Tezuka tried hard not to move his seat a little bit further from the sight. "Yeah. It's a one-man job this time, so the brat can say goodbye to the sweet bucks the employer offered." Inui handed Tezuka a brown envelope. "Here is the detail Tezuka."

Tezuka sipped his warm coffee, bracing himself for another job of assassination coming for him that night. 'Another dead body. Another list to the nightmare' Tezuka thought warily. His expression gave nothing away to the other two. The young assassin read the paper in his hand.

'Mission: annihilate the target.. Well, it's expected.. 3 months from now.. I still have a lot of time, then'.

Then a photograph came into his sight.

Oishi gasped beside him, and he could hear Inui's whistled at the image captured in the photograph. Tezuka took a sight of it, and a sudden strange flutter inside his stomach made him twitch in annoyance. A young man, probably 4 or 3 years younger than him, was walking in an elite part of the upper town, with a camera in his slender hand. While his figure clearly showed that he is indeed a man, there is something about the man that reminds him of paintings and the ethereal beauty they tried to capture.

A man for sure, but a beauty that caught both men and women attention is what the target has. The honey colored hair that ruffled by the wind and the slight smile is a mesmerizing sight, but his eyes, those striking blue eyes, is what caught Tezukas attention. He secretly wondered if this person is as beautiful as his candid photograph.

Inuis voice brought back Tezukas senses. "Target name is Fuji Shuusuke, A well known photographer and the heir to Fuji Corporation. Well, a man of fortune, isn't he? Young, rich, and talented". "And he's good looking too. It's such a pity that you have to kill him, ne, Tezuka?" Oishi said with a sad sigh, "This is the one of the things I hate about this job. The unwritten law that says we, as the man of work, shouldn't question who employed us and why they want to kill the target. It gets into my nightmare sometimes, whether our target is someone really worth to be killed or not". "'Get the papers, kill the target, and you get the fucking money', huh? Well, then it's a good thing that you retired, Oishi. Humanity and feelings are things that people in this side of world supposed to get rid of if they want to life without nightmare and the damn urges to commit suicide". Inui suppressed his yawn.

Tezuka rubbed his temple, his eyes once again scanning the papers and forcing his mind to concentrate. He finally let an almost non audible exasperated sigh escape his lips, finished his coffee in a single gulp and put on his coat. "I'm going home Inui. I'll call you later," Tezuka unlocked the door and without another word he went, leaving Inui with a rather dumbfounded look and Oishi chuckled in amusement. "Good, I really am sleepy anyway. Pay for his coffee, Inui". Inui sighed and reached for his wallet inside his coat, "Damn. Such an ass, isn't he?"

Outside, the down hard rain had turned into a calmer state of drizzle.

* * *

The smell of the narrow alley made Tezuka wrinkled his nose. 'Rotten corpse somewhere, maybe?' He thought while jumping a puddle of water, which suspiciously looked red. "Shit". Another unpleasant event to think of.

Tezuka never really like to kill, but it doesn't stop him from doing his job. Losing his parents and grandfather in a tragic massacre 10 years ago, Tezuka learnt that one could not always gave in to the things they like. His late family was killed by someone from the upper class for the murder they never did. The man who accused his family obviously has some power upon the police department, because in normal circumstances, no police officers want to associate themselves with the Tezuka family in the lower town. Not in any way, for they have no exact idea how wide is the network of the assassin family, and while it is quite obvious that the Tezukas are responsible for the murders, they have no evidence to drag them to jail.

But that was in the past. His grandfather might did some murders in his younger years, but he was already retired for years when the said murder happened. And his father was clean. His father lived from the coffee shop he owns, and his mother.. God. She was such a gentle, loving mother. There is no way she would kill anyone when she didn't even know how to use a gun or any weapon. His father knew how to use a gun, but he would only use it for self defense and protecting his family from the vile people of lower town.

Tezuka was the only one left of the Tezuka family, and the family left him nothing but the stealth technique his grandfather taught him and his fathers gun. And the coffee shop, which he gave to Oishis family, whom he trusts enough to keep his existence a secret.

The memories of his late family made Tezuka cringe in disgust. 'Damn those bastards of the upper town. I bet they make my family as the scapegoat for the murders they did themselves'. His fingers fumbled with the key in his pocket, suppressing the urge to punch something with his fists. 'That's why I never reject any mission to kill some of those rich bastards. They might have killed my family, but they have no idea that I'm still alive, the only survivor of massacre they did'.

Tezuka opened the door to his apartment. The light was turned off, but it doesn't always mean that there's no one inside. Echizen hates lights and he prefers to work in the dark, so he might be inside, working with his computer. Tezuka locked the door behind him and walked to the supposed to be living room. It's never been a living room, since nothing but a couch and a medium size table occupied the space there.

And there, he found his roommate.

Echizen slumped in the couch, his laptop turned on, and a can of beer in his right hand. Tezuka raised one of his brows. "Beer?" Tezuka muttered. Echizen isn't really a beer-fan. He always think beers are nothing but water with silly amount of alcohol, which will only makes his bladder suffer from the amount of water and do nothing to help him escapes from his problems. Echizen shrugged in his usual nonchalant fashion. "I'm thirsty, and I'm too lazy to grab some liquor from the bar since it's raining outside. Want some?" he offered Tezuka his beer, not once taking off his gaze from his laptop screen. "I'm going to bed" Tezuka said, walking to his bedroom. "But I think you'll want to clean yourself first, buchou. Someone was dumb enough to dump a corpse near the alley before the turn to this street. I can almost imagine how bad they torture the person before they manage no kill him. It smells like hell, don't you think? I know you must've passed the bloody thing on your way home".

"I told you not to call me that, Echizen".

"Call you what? Buchou? Nah. It suits you well. You always order me around anyway", Echizen then stretched in a cat-like grace. "Damn, now I'm starving".

Tezuka closed his bedroom door, took his clothes off and get himself a set of fresh clothes from his wardrobe. 'Black and grey' he thought solemnly while looking inside his wardrobe. 'The only colors I have, even for my boxers. Oishi's going to laugh at my fashion sense again once he saw this'.

That night, Tezuka dreamt of a blue-eyed angel.

* * *

A/N : Okay. Now I should go pack my luggage and hide in embarrassment for some good years. And maybe marry a good fireman to protect my hideaway spot from the flames.

Reviews will be my biggest energy to write another chapter. So pleaseeee do me tiny bit of favor and review, kay? *give you my best pleading look*


	2. the apricot and orange tart

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Warning: this is an AU fic, and no tennis included in this story. The setting is in a big city, which divided into 2 areas of lower and upper town. Upper town is where the rich is and the lower town.. Well, you get the idea.

As for the age, go imagine Tezuka in his late 20, Inui and Oishi in their early 30. And Echizen is somewhere near 23. Fuji is 25, and so is Eiji.

The characters are a bit OOC.

And for the reviewers.. thank you, thank youuuu. Gosh, your reviews made my day, you know ^_^

To rinapraval, yeah, seriously, it is my first fic. So I give you the honorable place in my fic-writing history as my very first reviewer X)

And thank you BloodRaven ^_^ , your comment flatters me. I still have a lot to learn, though.

For Yoshikochan, ufifox, and Ookami Fuu, here's a Fuji centric-chapter for you!

Okay,, here you go, my beloved readers..

Chapter 2

**The Apricot and Orange Tart**

His voice mail has always been something entertaining to start his day.

"Young master, what do you think about the contract with the Atobe corp? I know you have some.. um, personal problems with the vice president.. But would you please consider to…." Hayamas voice, the secretary of his dad, rang from the phones speaker. He chuckled softly. 'Always panicking like that… I wonder how Dad put up with him every day'.

Another beeping sound from the phone indicates the beginning of a new voice message. "Nyaaaaa Fujikooo, why didn't you come to the restaurant today?? Taka-san was trying a new recipe today and it was yuuuuuuummy and you should've seen his disappointed face when the restaurant had to be closed and you haven't _graced_ him with your presence and now I'm reeeally sure that he has a crush on you and.. Um, wait. What time is it now??" a small pause, "Oh my, so you were working. It's not even 9 pm and you aren't picking up… and there's no way that you slept already, so you must be working late, again" a soft sigh, "Fujiko, please take care of yourself, okay? You know how worried I am when you're being all workaholic like this… The last time you run a crazy schedule like this, you were…" a worried groan this time, and he smiled softly at his best friends' antics. "Well, just, take care, okay? I'm working on a new recipe tomorrow, so give me a call, and I'm making sure that you'll be the first to taste it, okay? See you later, Fujiko." He made a mental note to call his best friend immediately.

Another beeping sound.

"Mr. Fuji, this is Annette from the Socialites magazine. I just want to make sure you remember about our interview for this Saturday. Saturday, at 3 pm. If you have any problem with the time, please do contact me anytime. See you this Saturday, Mr. Fuji". He frowned at the subtly seductive tone the reporter used. 'I wonder what's so entertaining about my life, anyway. Haven't they figured out that I used most of my time only to take pictures? I'm a photographer, for God's sake. Well, dodging the work from Dads company too.. But they don't have to know that'. About 4 messages later, he finally came to the last message.

That last message shot his amusement away.

"Shuusuke, Ore-sama don't feel sorry about your last boyfriend. He was just _momentarily_ forgetting about the fact that he has; or should I say had?, you as his boyfriend, but hey, only momentarily, he even called _your_ name in his strange orgasmic voice. You know that no one can avoid being convinced by ore-samas prowess. Stop holding grudge against me, Shuusuke. He's dumb anyway. And just sign the contract with our company. You know you need it. There's no better company than ours and…"

He deleted the message before he heard another word from his so called childhood friend.

"I've known him ever since we were little. I even know that he still use his diapers until in the second year of elementary school. That pompous bastard… if he is indeed that great he should've been able to find a boyfriend on his own and not taking mine" he muttered darkly. 'But he's quite right in the dumb part. Javier is indeed an air head. A gorgeous one, though'.

"God. I need coffee, or a gigantic cup of cookies and peanut ice cream, or…" the blue eyed man paused at the sight of his cell phone, "Or a real good amount of sweet cakes".

Twenty minutes and a phone call later, dressed in a fashionable leather coat over his comfortable t-shirt and jeans, Fuji Shuusuke was on his way to 'Black Pepper', a fancy restaurant in the heart of the upper town. A rather upbeat music blasted inside his range rover, and he sang along to lighten up his mood. 'Pathetic. The only thing that accompanies me right now is my camera. Maybe Dad was really sincere when he said that it'll be the last thing I see in my death bed if I don't take over his company'. He snorted. 'Man. Does black magic run in my family, or what? Yumiko nee-san reads tarot, Yuuta owns a collection of voodoo dolls, and now my Dad is able to put a curse on me? Maybe I should learn something equally twisted too'.

Ten minutes later, he entered the cozy restaurant, still humming the same upbeat song that somehow got stuck in his head and ignoring the 'closed' sign in the entrance, with his smile plastered in his face.

"I'm sorry sir, the restaurant is closed.."

The managers' voice trailed off when she saw Fuji. And with a slightly annoyed voice she continued, "but of course you'll never listen to what I say, Fuji Shuusuke". Fujis melodious laugh made the middle aged woman smile. "Good morning to you too, Sumire-chan" he greeted the restaurants manager cheerfully, flashing his most charming grin. "You better be good and don't try to distract any of the workers, _especially_ our patissier and our head-chef. And stop calling me Sumire-chan. It's Ryuuzaki-san for you, young man". The comment was replied by another pleasant laugh from the slender man. "Understood, Ryuuzaki-_chan_".

With a rather loud 'Hey' from the manager, Fuji entered the kitchen. "Fuji, good morning! You're early today!" Jan, one of the chef, greeted him without stopping his hand from chopping the vegetables. "Hey. I know. I know I'm early. I'm really sorry though. I'm in a need of Eijis sweet cake.. You know I'd die in misery without it". The chef gave him an amused laugh. "Well, you're lucky today. He has been blabbering about this super-tasty-apricot and orange cake since yesterday.. And he forbids any of us to taste it before _Fujiko_ taste it. Now go and tell me how it is. I'm curious myself".

Kikumaru Eiji was humming one of the Disney songs he obsessed with when Fuji came to the baking corner. He practically threw his wooden spatula and gave Fuji his famous Kikumaru bear hug. "Nyaaaa Fujikooo!! I finally get to see you! Where have you been??" Fuji managed to break free of his friends' tight hug after a rather choked 'Hi'. "Come, get your cute ass to my mighty patissier paradise and.." Eiji made a poor imitation of welcoming drum-rolls sound, and took a small sized cake, with sweet, drool worthy smell, and generous amounts of sliced orange and apricot on top from the fridge. Fuji hummed at the mouth watering sight.

"Fujiko, meet my creation of apricot and orange cake".

The other employees of the restaurant watched in amusement as the two best friends raced to their usual table with spoon and cake in their hands.

"And??" Eiji eyed him with a nervous glint in his eyes. Fuji considered to tease him but decided that he would take pity on his red haired friend this time.

"I think a little bit of chocolate crumbs will do this creamy thing good. But it's really good already, Eiji"

Eiji flash him a big happy grin. "See, that's why I looove letting you be the first to taste my cakes and cookies! Choco crumbs is brilliant, Fujiko! I'll have to put a little less sugar, then".

They ended up sharing their fetish of sweet cakes for the next 15 minutes, until Taka-san, the head chef, came out from the kitchen with two plates of _croque monsieur. _Eiji looked at him with an amused 'see, I told you so' look, and Fuji discreetly rolled his eyes at him. "Thanks Taka-san. It's really nice of you.."

"30 minutes, everyone!!" Manager Ryuuzaki reminded her staffs with her stern voice. It was 9.30 already, and Fuji reminded himself that he only got 30 minutes left to get to his real reason of coming to 'Black Pepper' that morning. He gave another smile to Taka-san as the head chef excused himself to his kitchen with red tint on his cheeks and Fuji quickly ate his food. 10 minutes later, they finally gulped down their last piece of _croque monsieur_.

'20 minutes left' Fuji told himself.

"Eiji, let's go outside". The red head sensed the sudden seriousness in the photographers' voice, and then followed him to the small garden outside the restaurant without another word.

"Fujiko, what's wrong?" He finally asked after he made sure that they were alone. Fuji took a deep breath, considering whether it's really okay to tell his best friend about it for the last time before he finally said it.

"Eiji, I think someone's after my head"

Eijis eyes widened, and Fuji fidgeted under those surprised stare. "I… I can feel someone watching me, like, almost all the time, and.." Eiji grabbed his hand, and Fuji felt that it was trembled in fear and worry.

"Are.. Are you sure it wasn't another paparazzi or stalker, Fujiko? Umm, you're pretty famous after all.." Fuji shook his head. "No, Eiji. Some might know me, but you know that I'm a photographer, not an idol, so I'm sure it wasn't someone who can be considered as a mere fan or stalker. And unless paparazzis are given stealth training nowadays, no, there's no way that he's a paparazzi"

"It's a man?" Fuji nodded. "Yeah. I managed to trick him once, but I was only able to catch a glimpse of his shadow. I'm pretty sure it was a man". Eijis face gloomed in a rare seriousness. "I don't know Fujiko.. Who would possibly harm you? I mean, as a photographer you only took artsy kind of photos, and not the controversial ones.."

"And I'm also an almost-official heir of my fathers' company."

Eiji cursed in a sudden realization. "Fuck. Holy shit, you're right. Someone is possibly after your head".

There was a minute of an unpleasant silent after that, and Fuji felt guilty for telling his usually happy-go-lucky friend. He hates seeing Eiji like that; a worried face and a frown, and tears threatening to leave his eyes.

He even felt guiltier after that, when Eiji grabbed his hand and pulled him into his shaking embrace, his voice cracked with a restrained sob. "Fujiko.. Please.. Be careful, ok? I.. I don't want to lose you.. You're my only best friend.. And.." Fuji put his arm around Eiji and whispered remorsefully., "God.. Eiji, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have told you.."

Eiji released him and stared at the blue-eyed boy with an almost hurt look. "What the hell, Fujiko!? _I_ will be the one who kills you if ever you keep this to yourself, silly!" Fuji gave him a rueful smile. "Fujiko, we have to do something!"

Fuji answered with a weak nod.

"Okay, first, you shouldn't be alone. Javier's staying with you, right?". The annoyed look in Fujis face surprised him. "Nah. I'm pretty sure that he's busy with warming Keigos bed right now. A foot step near my apartment, and I'll kill him with my bare hands"

Realization finally downed on Eijis confused eyes, and Eiji almost roared in anger. "Arrrgh!! That good-for-nothing bastard! I'm going to strangle him, Fujiko, I swear! I even bothered to gave him my best-friend-speech before.." Fujis brow lifted in question. "You know.. The 'If you ever hurt my best friends, you'll never be able to see tomorrows sunshine' one.." Fuji shook his head in disbelief. "Forget him, Eiji. I already threw my bed for good, anyway. I've got a better, bigger bed now"

Eiji threw his fist to the air in fury. "He even did it on _your_ bed?! Him, and that Atobe-slut-Keigo will go to the worst form of hell!! I swear!!" Fuji smiled in relief. This Eiji is better than the one with worried face and tears.

"But you really shouldn't be left alone, Fujiko. How about you move in with me? At least I can keep an eye on you.." Fuji immediately shook his head.

"Eiji, I'm hiring a bodyguard, and he'll start guarding me tomorrow. It'll be okay". Eiji gave him a tired sigh. "Okay. A bodyguard. I'm pretty convinced. Just.. Be careful, okay? Be really careful, a little bit paranoid, whatever. Just don't face it like you almost _willing_ to be killed, Fujiko". Fujis eyes widened in a split second, but he quickly regained his usual innocent façade.

"What do you mean, Eiji?"

"Don't give me that bull shit, Fujiko. I can see it in your eyes, a crack in that stupid smiling mask of yours, when you thought I wasn't looking. You're my best friend, Fujiko.. I..know how you feel about your life" Fuji turned his back to Eiji and bit his trembled lower lip. "Fujiko, how can I convince you that you are more that worth of living? There are a lot people who look up to you, care about your well being.." Eiji hugged him from behind. "I'm one of them. I care about you, Fujiko. Please.. Value your life, at least for me" Eiji felt Fuji trembled in his arms. "Promise me, Fuji Shuusuke. Don't you dare to leave me. Live for me, for those who love you, then for yourself. Promise me".

Fuji steadied his voice; his knees grew weak in his best friends' affectionate hold. "Okay. I.. promise. I promise, Eiji.."

Fuji Shuusuke lied for the second time to his best friend that day.

* * *

That's it for this chapter..

How was it?? Good? Bad? So so? Not enough of Fuji the sexy photographer? Paaaatience is virtueeee, fellas, there'll be more later *wink wink*

Oh, and I really should apologize to Atobes fans, ehehe. Don't worry, as much as I made him as an asshole in this story, I wont let anyone kill him.. yet (noooo, just kidding!)

And now, for the sake of my sinking self esteem as a fresh chunk of writer, would you please do me a favor by leaving some review before you cursed me with black magic-y thing??

Thank youuuuuuu. *off to hunt my muse and plot bunnies to finish the next chapter*


	3. The piano and the dark alley

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.

Warning: this is an AU fic, and no tennis included in this story. The setting is in a big city, which divided into 2 areas of lower and upper town. Upper town is where the rich is and the lower town.. Well, you get the idea.

As for the age, go imagine Tezuka in his late 20, Inui and Oishi in their early 30. And Echizen is somewhere near 23. Fuji is 25, and so is Eiji.

The characters are a bit OOC.

and thaaaank yoou for the reviews xxx you guys rocks!!

**yoshikochan**, the first lie was something you'll find out later *evil laugh*, I curse you to follow my story until the end *more evil laugh*

**Ookami Fuu**, wow, you're sharp o.O see if this chapter answers your assumptions ;)

**Broken Flavors**, you're soo right :) i love best-friend-mode Eiji. About the golden pair, I'm not sure yet. I'll just see later if my mood gonna take my story there.

**saya**, here's the next chapter :)

And about the timeline, this chapter happened before the second chapter.

Enjoy .

* * *

Chapter 3

**The Piano and the Dark Alley**

Atobe Keigo opened the door to his childhood friends' apartment. He almost growled in frustration when he found that Fuji Shuusuke wasn't home, but of course he didn't growl, because _ore-sama_ is very well-mannered, and growling is definitely not ore-samas thing to do.

His gaze wandered around the apartment. To the grand piano he knew Fuji never played again since Fuji Yuuta left with his partner to another country a few years ago. 'To start anew', he said back then, but Atobe knew better. With Fuji Shuusuke gaining the trusts of the company's board members and the majority of the investors, Fuji Yuuta as the second candidate for the next owner and CEO of the Fuji Company was outshined. And the fact that Fuji Shuusuke never wanted to take that position was eating him inside. His brother got the thing he always wanted, yet had no intention to take it seriously. Yuuta struggled for years, trying to meet his fathers' every expectation, but in the end his brother got everything, even without any intention to.

Atobe touched the grand piano softly, wondering when will Shuusuke play it again, his fingers dancing and his smile so genuine. Just like when they were younger, back then in The Fuji manor.

Yuuta thought he knows his brother enough to assume what Fuji would do with the company, but Atobe knew better. He watched how Shuusukes eyes darkened at the rare display of frustration after he failed to convince his father to give his seat to Yuuta. He watched Shuusuke cried unconsciously in his sleep, memories of his late mother and his severed relationship with Yuuta scarred his sleep. Yuuta never guessed that Shuusuke finally accept his fate as his fathers heir, only to make sure Yuuta will have the best position in the company later, if not give Yuuta his own seat. And Atobe watched helplessly as Shuusukes smile became less and less genuine; his laugh got emptier each day.

Atobe turned his gaze away from the black grand piano, and a used wine glass on the kitchen counter caught his attention.

Shuusuke never leave his apartment without making sure everything's clean. And he rarely drank any wine at all. Then Atobes lips pursed at a message left beside the glass.

'Baby, I was here but you weren't home. I need to touch you in any way (been waiting for the whole week, dammit. I hate your job, can't you just quit?), so I'll be back tonight. It's either me or your job tonight. I'm serious. - Javier'

Atobe snorted in disbelief. 'Either you or his job tonight, huh? You fool. It's almost like you asked him to cut his manhood for you'.

Then there was a soft click coming from the door.

Atobe Keigo never wanted Fuji Shuusuke in any romantic way, but as his tongue invaded Javiers mouth that night, he wondered what it was that made him want to know what Shuusuke sees in his boyfriends.

He believed it was a mere curiosity.

* * *

"Say, Buchou, have you ever considered to take Oishi-san to a mission like this?" Echizen sipped his warm latte; his eyes flickered from amusement at a full view of the on-going scene happened inside Fujis apartment displayed on his laptop.

"You know it's impossible" He gave his partner his famous 'would you please be serious' glare.

"But his coffees and lattes really are the best. And they said upper town has the best things to offer. What a bull. If this is what they drink every time they need some, I pity them". He took another sip from the latte he bought in a café near their surveillance spot: the parking lot across Fujis studio, where they parked their black van in a spot which allow them to keep their eyes on Fuji without drawing any unwanted attention.

"Stop complaining" Tezuka said, his fingers, holding his own coffee, twitched in annoyance. He wondered if it was a right decision to involved Echizen in his supposed to be one man mission. But he needed a peek at Fujis daily routines to scheme his way to complete his mission and get away from it without leaving any trace. And if he's in a need to finish his target inside that apartment, he's going to need the full view of Fujis apartment. And there's no better candidate to help him get those crucial information other than Echizen.

'Inui might not like him, but this method is the most effective one. Though we'll have to divide the payment into three with Echizen helping me like this'. Then again, payment wasn't really something that he made a fuss of.

The night before, the assassin and the hacker infiltrated the security system of Fujis apartment, creating a leak on the surveillance camera on the halls of Fujis apartment, and activating the one inside the blue eyed mans room, the one which normally turned off and used only in some security threat for the rooms occupant.

Echizen managed to mess the system, and created a crack in the security channel, the reason why they have a live broadcast, straight from his targets apartment.

Tezuka sipped his coffee, and he can't help but agreeing to Echizens comment about the crappy taste of the upper towns coffee. The bespectacled man eyed the entrance of the studio, thinking about how late it was and when on earth that Fuji is going to stop working and go home. He actually hates stalking someone, mainly because of this reason. Following the target is an exciting job, only if they are the outgoing type, meaning they did not staying at the very same studio for --- Tezuka sourly looked at the digital clock of the van--- almost 13 hours. The workaholics are not the pleasant one to follow.

Yet, there he was. Waiting for Fuji to come out of the building, with Echizen watching whatever it is that happened in Fujis apartment in the back room of their van, the space where they stuffed their laptops and whatever tools they might need in their missions into. The van, originally Inuis, is their very own mobile headquarter.

Tezuka reminded himself to bring something to kill his boredom the next time he followed him. He could always take a risk by following the photographer into the studio, but he is not really in a hurry. For a reason he couldn't understand, he really felt like going slow with this mission.

Tezuka sighed again. He raked through the stack of magazines behind the front passengers' seat. Most of them are more than a year old, and he had read each of them for more than 4 times, every cross words and quizzes available had been done. He debated on opening the front cabinet and looking for something interesting which might be stashed there, but that's where Inui usually put his stuff into, and he wouldn't risk his sanity by taking an insignificant peek into it.

And this morning, Inui had put the tiny photograph of Fuji Shuusuke into his 'sacred' cabinet. For a good luck charm, he said. And the idea of looking into that photograph didn't settle well with him. He remembered what happened the last time he saw it. His stomach had felt strange, and there was something like a squeeze in his chest… he didn't like it at all.

His mood turned sour.

The brown haired man took a look around the neighborhood. There was the huge studio, looked eye catching but equally minimalist enough to be called modern and artsy. There was a small alley next to it, probably a smaller entrance for the cleaning services workers. But the alley, though dark, is not an alley he used to see in the lower town. It was much cleaner, and of course there was no thug or another threat hidden in that small alley.

'Well, an assassin and his partner aren't far from it right now', he muses.

He took another calculating look to the neighborhood. An expensive looking boutique, a very classy music studio..

His mind unconsciously drifted back to the earlier part of their stalking mission that day, the images of Fuji and his morning activities flooded his thought.

Fuji Shuusuke taking a walk on the city park. Fuji Shuusuke comforted a little girl that spilled her milk on his shirt after she accidentally bumped into him, and the way he smiled warmly, his touch gentle as he patted the girls head.

And the image of Fuji Shuusuke taking the milk spilled shirt off inside his parked car, his skin looked so enticingly soft, his movement unbelievably graceful when he fetch a spare shirt on the passenger seat, the smooth plane of his bare back..

"Hm, this starts to turn me on"

Tezuka almost spit his coffee.

"What.."

"Do you think the Fuji knows that his boyfriend is having sex with someone else on their apartment? Wow, that's pretty hot" Echizen brought his face closer to the monitor, acting like he was watching porn instead of mapping the layout of Fujis apartment. Tezuka was dumbfounded. He didn't know whether to be relieved that Echizen didn't caught him day dreaming or to be annoyed of his attitude. "Do you think I should give a copy to Inui, buchou?"

'Okay, that's it' Tezuka thought instantly.

He almost kicked the young hacker out of the van when Fuji finally made his appearance, walking out from the studio, his arm circled in a slim waist of a raven haired girl.

"Echizen"

He saw Echizen quickly nodded and took over his place on the driver seat when he took some cautious step, following his target to a dark alley beside the studio.

He was greeted by the sight of Fuji Shuusuke cornered in the dead ended alley, his hand on the girls ass, his eyes closed obviously enjoying his spit swapping action with his girl.

Tezuka gulped at the mind blowing scene. His mind screaming 'stay focus, stay focus' while his knees betraying him by growing strangely weak. He heard Fuji moaned softly when the girl trailed her hand down from his shoulder to his chest, and he unconsciously held his breath; his logic began to leave his head.

Fujis eyes suddenly flickered open, and Tezuka quickly hid himself, a fraction too late.

A cold sweat glided down from his temple. 'Damn it' he thought 'He almost saw me'. This never happened in his missions before. Never, never he let his guard down upon seeing his target sharing a kiss with someone else. He had seen his targets in many kinds of state before, but this man.. this Fuji Shuusuke shook his usually cold logic so easily only with an act of kissing, and it annoyed him, no, it _raged_ him that _he_ let himself be carried away. He tried to calmed his raged breathing.

A hushed voice caught his keen ear.

"You saw…?"

"No, too fast. But I'm that sure it was a man.." he heard Fuji said in an equally hushed voice.

"A press-dog?"

"No, no camera. I didn't see any flash light. He's got to be something else.."

Tezuka gritted his teeth. That bastard tricked him. That devious, sexy son of a..

A faint rustle sound of shirts being straightened. "Should I bring you home, Sofia?"

And Tezuka ran back to his van; no longer have any will or patience needed to stalk his target.

* * *

"Er, buchou, are you okay?" Echizen eyed him with a curious glint in his eyes, his usually inseparable laptop sat a table away. Oishi gave him the same look from behind the counter, his fingers tapping its wooden surface.

"I'm okay" he answered in a flat tone.

"How was it going?" Inui took his coat off, Oishi almost jumped from surprise on his sudden appearance, and Inui calmly sat beside Tezuka, a suspicious looking drink in his hand.

"What's that, bug?" Echizen eyed the drink with a disgusted look. "Bug? You called me bug? You better be careful, Echizen, or you can stay jobless. And stop glaring at my energy drink" Tezuka gave the two a hard look, effectively stopping the childish bicker. "Wait until I get my hands on you, you dwarf" Inui muttered before turning his attention back to the obviously annoyed Tezuka.

Oishi chuckled in amusement. "How was the mission going Tezuka? I'm really curious myself" Oishi took another seat beside Echizen.

"Nothing's special. That man was working in his studio all day, but I don't think that it was his daily routine, so we haven't got any exact plan for the mission" A nod from Inui and an understanding hum from Oishi.

"I haven't got to tell you last night, Inui, but I had decided to get a help from Echizen" Echizen grinned smugly as Inui sent a nasty look to him. "Yeah. I helped buchou mapped Fujis apartment". Oishis eyes glinted in amusement. "You bugged the private security camera?" Inui didn't look pleased that Echizen played a quite significant role in the mission. "Che. That guy sure is spoilt. He got a frickin nice apartment, with the city view and all. And it was annoyingly spacious he can even stuffed a grand piano inside".

"Great, now you can start self pitying yourself for having that cramped mouse hole as your home, geek" Inui sneered as Echizen opened his mouth to outwit the Informants insult.

But Tezuka and his gun preceded him, and Echizen grinned as he watched Inui froze at the gun being pointed at him, "At least buchou pays half of the rent, Inui"

Oishi chuckled nervously, and Tezuka finally lowered his gun.

"Well, overall, there isn't really any remarkable things regarded our mission. This guy's rather low profile for a heir of a fucking multimillion dollar company" Echizen shrugged in his usual nonchalant attitude. Inui raised his brow. "No servants or maids to be deceived? An overprotective personal assistant, maybe?". Echizen shook his head "Nah. He even drove to work by himself. And the security of the apartment isn't that impressive. It's going to be easy, and we sure have lots of time"

"Don't let your guard down" Tezuka said.

"He knows that he was being followed, I heard him talk with his girl when I stalked him after work" Echizen eyed him with suspicious look, but Tezuka ignored him. "It's him we need to be careful with. This Fuji Shuusuke is smarter than I thought".

'And Fuji Shuusuke is one hell of a great kisser' Tezuka tried to keep his face calm, keeping the last piece of information to himself.

The rest of the night was uneventful for him.

Until Inui called him at 2 am, disturbing his dream of dark alleys, smooth strands of honey brown hair and arousing soft moans.

"Hey Tezuka, wanna try playing bodyguard?"

* * *

Hmm. Tezuka the double-agent, maybe in black suit and aviator-style sunglass?? (yummy,hehe)

review pweeeaasee??


	4. The Memories

Warning(s): this is an AU fic, the characters are a bit OOC, and no tennis included in this story. The setting is in a big city, which divided into 2 areas of lower and upper town. Upper town is where the rich is and the lower town.. Well, you get the idea.

As for the age, go imagine Tezuka and Atobe in their late 20, Inui and Oishi in their early 30. And Echizen is somewhere near 23. Fuji is 25, and so is Eiji.

Review is loooove.

**saya**, thank you for the corrections, teheee. I am a little bit retarded with those apostrophe-thing.. please do tell if I make another slip up again :)

**yoshikochan**, Atobe is sweet in his own way, don't you think? Hehe.

**vegibee**, that is very much ok :) well, this story is not rated M for nothing, you know *wink wink* just wait and read, okaaay :D

**Vhii1217**, And thank _you_ for reading and reviewing :). Atobe's role… hmm. I'll leave it to your imagination for now *evil laugh*

I Apologiiiiiize. Holiday is f*ing over and now I got stuck with the new semester and the lecturers are me-haters in disguise for their never ending projects and homeworks. *sniffles*

This might be a bit short… My muse was robbed by physics and calculus and stuffs.. (why the heck am I choosing to study engineering anyway?)

Oops. This fic had unintentionally turned into a personal diary. *apologize again…*

Gah. Just ignore me for this time being… Happy reading :)

* * *

Chapter 4

Memories

Fuji Yoshiko has never been to the lower town before. But his oldest son had been so excited about visiting the orphanage, planning to give them a little food, money, and other knick knacks for the upcoming Christmas. Shuusuke even picked the gifts for the orphans himself, his beautiful blue eyes shone so bright in excitement, while his little brother Yuuta tagged along behind him, his brothers excitement caught his interest.

It was snowing that night, and the way to the orphanage was so dark and gloomy. She didn't feel save and she knew that something is going to happen, but she shoved the feeling to the back of her head. Yoshiko didn't like this part of the town; the lower town where everything look so gloomy and the people look so miserable. She was lucky to have a well respected father and a mother related to the royal family, she never had to experience such difficulties in her life.

Even her marriage was perfect. With a loving husband and their three adorable children, her life was complete. Her children were her biggest pride.

Yoshiko smiled softly. If not for Shuusuke, she will not have any intention to visit the lower town. But Shuusuke wanted to give the Christmas gift himself, eating together with the orphans, and played piano for them; he wanted to be there to see their eyes glowed in happiness. And now that Shuusuke was unable to leave his bed due to his high fever, he asked his mother to do it for him instead. She chuckled softly when she remembered the pure disappointment on her sons face, his lips pouted in a rather childish way. "Papa said I can't, Mama.. so please, take a lot of pictures for me? I want to see if they're happy with our presents.." her blue eyed son begged her that morning. How could she say no to her beloved son when he gave her that pleading look?

Her car jerked in an abrupt stop.

Yoshiko turned her head to her chauffeur in the drivers' seat. She wanted to ask him what's wrong, but a loud voice stopped her, and she screamed as the cars windows being bombarded with bullets.

A sharp pain struck her left side, and she knew she will not make it home tonight. She will not be able to say goodbye to her angels, running her hands through her husband's hair as she watches him asleep. She will not be able to keep her promise to Shuusuke. She felt really really cold, and the visions of her family played before her eyes like an old film, and slowly, darkness took over her short dream.

* * *

Sometimes he wondered what had he done so wrong in his previous life.

He didn't really believe in superstitions, but it was the only reason he knew why some people suffered more than the others.

His life had been perfect. Loving family, good friends and he could always get whatever he wanted. But ten years ago, his perfect life was shattered when his mother died. And he was the one who killed his mother. His egoistic wish and naivety did that.

It was still so vivid in his mind, the day the tragedy happened. He was down with a high fever, and his mother had gone in his place to the lower town. But he was waiting for her to come home that night; he couldn't stay still in his room even with his fever. So he waited in the piano room downstairs, the one with its window facing the front foyer, so that when his mother coming, he will be in the front door to greet her.

She never came home.

Some unknown people had robbed her on her way to the orphanage, probably knowing that she had money and food and some valuable things.

He cursed God so many times since then.

Was doing a charity a big sin? Was it something so evil that He has to take his mother away from him? And as if it wasn't enough, He took away his loving, gentle father, and replaced him with this ambitious, cold man. He used to call his father 'papa', but 'mama' wasn't there anymore, and he barely knew the man his 'papa' turned into. So he called him 'dad' instead. Of course it held the same meaning, but it was less painful to call him 'dad' because 'papa' always reminds him of 'mama' who will never come home again.

Fuji Shuusuke smiled bitterly. His blue eyes glazed with angry tears that threatening to fall.

He was tired of asking why, tired of being angry, tired of crying. But sometimes, the whole gloomy feelings just called back to him, reminded him of those painful memories.

He took a deep breath, refusing to let the tears fall.

"Have you done pitying yourself?"

His bitter smile turned into a knowing smirk. "Hello, Keigo".

Atobe took a few steps closer to his friend. "It's one of your bad habits, you know. You always think about bad things when you're alone and stressed like this".

"Oh, and seducing my boyfriend is one of your bad habits Keigo, in case you haven't notice". Atobe rolled his eyes. "I thought we're over that, Shuusuke". "Oh I'm not sure, best friend," Fuji's voice turned suspiciously cheery, and Atobe cringe inwardly. "The last time you did it, it took a couple of days and a good contract for me to forgive you. Since it's the fifth time and you are the one who needs the contract, I think it will be much more than a month, Keigo".

'Damn his logic'. Atobe sighed exasperatedly. 'And he's the only person who won't be affected with my charm beside my mother..'

"Fine. What should I do, then?" Fuji then smiled triumphantly. "Another contract."

Atobe quirked a brow. "Contract? But..".

"For Avery Corp. in London"

Atobe's gaze widened. He really shouldn't be surprised, but…

Atobe's hand grasped his smaller one, but Fuji's smile didn't waver. "Shuusuke, Yuuta wouldn't like that. If he find out that it's you who set up this contract..". "That's why I want you to do it. You don't have to give the contract directly from Atobe Corp., you know. I thought you have enough influence to your business partners, no?".

Recognizing the finality in his childhood friend's voice, Atobe sighed. "How about a brand new studio?"

Atobe knew the answer already, but, well, at least he tried.

* * *

15 minutes later, Kikumaru Eiji entered Fuji's apartment, with a box of his home made tiramisu in his hand, only to find his best friend asleep the sofa.

He was glad that Fuji got the sleep he really needed, knowing how hard Fuji works for the past few weeks, not to mention the whole assassination thing..

The young patissier shuddered, remembering how close he was from losing his best friend.

So it was good that Fujiko can finally get to sleep, he thought. But, why, he wondered, did Fujiko had to be asleep there, cradled on Atobe's lap? Something was not quite right..

"He cried himself to sleep." He heard Atobe's voice, rather surprised to hear the strain in the usually confident voice. Eiji put the tiramisu inside the fridge, then approached the two friends in the living room. Solemnly, he eyed the brunette in his Atobe's arms, looking so shattered and vulnerable. "Remembering about his mother again?" he asked, slowly running his fingers through the honey brown strands. "That, and exhaustion. He overdid himself with his latest project." Eiji watched Atobe caressed his best friend's cheek in such tenderness; he couldn't help to think if he really understands what kind of relationship these two have.

"Mmm.. Keigo..?" Fuji's sleepy voice startled him. "I'm here." Atobe patted Fuji's head, and Eiji smiled softly at his best friend's rare clinginess. "I heard Eiji…" the brunette muttered softly while snuggled closer to Atobe's chest, as if not sure if he was dreaming or not. Eiji chuckled and pinched Fuji's cheek. "You're not dreaming, cutie. Eiji and his tiramisu are here."

Fuji awakened instantly at the word 'tiramisu'.

And Atobe was left alone in the living room, while the two best friends dashing to the kitchen. Atobe shook his head in disbelieve. "25 years old, and still act like sugar induced kids.."

* * *

"Admit it, it's better than your chef's" Eiji glared at the vice president of Atobe Corp, currently one of Fuji Shuusuke's so called baby sitter. "Gakuto's pie is better, though." Atobe replied nonchalantly.

Fuji watched in amusement as his two friends bickering. "Ha! So my tiramisu is better than his!" Eiji grinned triumphantly. "Hm. Congratulations. You have your first win against Gakuto after these two years of odd rivalry.." Atobe smirked. "Mou, Fujikooo, Atobe's being a prick! Do something, nya!!".

Fuji shrugged innocently. "Saa, I don't know, Eiji… he does brought me Gakuto san's cakes everytime..". "Nyaa Fujikooo, you traitor…" Eiji pouted, and Fuji couldn't help but laughed.

Then his phone rang, and when Fuji came back to his friends with his well practiced mask of smile, he asked if can have his apartment to himself for a session with his new boyfriend. Atobe and Eiji didn't buy his smiling façade, but they left anyway.

5 minutes later, he met Kunimitsu Tezuka for the first time. Or so he thought.

* * *

Reviews will make me giddy at first, and then feed the plot bunnies in my realm of muse, make them bounce around in happiness and thus inspires me to write the next chapter…

Okay that doesn't even make any sense.

The point is, review pleeeeeeaseee??


	5. The Meeting and the Morning After

I'm soooooo sorry for the late update..

My acute gastritis tendencies and hectic campus life are obviously a no good combination. They ground me to the hospital bed and whole lot of lessons to catch up.

For all of you who still have an admirable patience to stick to this fic, thank you so very very much X)

Disclaimer: I wish I own Fuji and Tezuka. Slurp. What a purrfect couple.

* * *

Chapter 5

**The Meeting and the Morning After**

"What the hell." Echizen snatched his potato chips from Inui's grasp. "The Fuji act so differently without his friends, huh." Inui said, drinking his so called 'energy drink', washing away the overly salty taste of the chips he stole from Echizen. "He was snuggling, Inui. Snuggling! What a grown man thing to do!" Echizen half muttered in disbelief. "Yeah. And now he acts like he owns the world. This person.."

Oishi cleared his throat. His eyes accusing. "And is this what grown men do? Watching the target with snacks and… and that liquidated hell! You two are supposed to help Tezuka and not watching Fuji Shuusuke like he's some part of reality show!" Echizen raised his brow. "Are you saying you are not interested to see this Oishi? You don't wanna see buchou got buchoued around?". "Well what I mean is… I mean.. I want to of course, but not like this.. it's.." Oishi stammered. 'Tezuka got buchoued.. that is tempting..'. "You wanna see it, you do it our way. Here, take a seat." Inui's glasses glinted in a suspicious way. Oishi got alarmed instantly. But, hey, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Oh fuck it."

And he took the seat offered. 'I'm going to regret this..'

A strange smell reached his nose. "Inui.. just.. put your..your drink further. I can smell it..". "Actually, I think I'm going to make another glass of it. I don't know why but this one's smell is a bit stronger." Oishi shivered. 'A bit stronger.. what the hell'. "I'm using your kitchen and blender again, Oishi." Then Inui took his glass and made his way to the kitchen.

"Nooo! Inui not my kitchen! You'll poison me and my customers!"

* * *

It's him. His siren. His very personal porn star of his recent dreams. The blue eyed angel. His target.

"So your employment photograph was being honest." The siren started their very first conversation, his luscious lips quirked in a charming smile, "you're looking as good as your photograph told me."

'Then yours did you no justice,' He nodded and murmured his thanks. 'It holds no candle to the real one'.

"Well, I'm Fuji Shuusuke.. And I need to lay out some ground rules for you, Tezuka-san."

Such a fair skin, long, slim fingers.. Delicate. Every little thing about his target is like fine, rich sculpture, he thought. Except his eyes. The color and the intensity he saw in those blue gems were giving him chills. So blue, so powerful and determined.

"Name it, master Fuji."

He saw his target snickered in amusement. "All right. First, stop the master-thing. It makes me feel like we're in a Victorian era or something," the target flashed his enigmatic smile again, and Tezuka felt his fingers twitched in a strange urge to caress those rosy lips. "Just Fuji is good. It's simpler anyway, so if any… emergency… thing happened.." Fuji's voice trailed off. His smile turned sour, but, 'Strange,' Tezuka thought, 'His eyes only showed determination and no fear. Is he not afraid of death?'

"And here's another important thing. You might be responsible now for my safety, and, if things come to worst, my life," Tezuka gulped unconsciously. 'I am responsible.. for your life, and your death, 3 months from now on'.

Fuji smirked in an almost nonchalant attitude, which reminded him of Echizen without his laptop and mada-mada thingy. "Well, whatever happened know that I'm your employer, so everything goes as what I say, okay?"

Tezuka nodded, his heart dropped for a while. 'Of course. How can I forget? So typical for a little spoiled brat, born with a silver spoon in his mouth..'

"No matter what happen, do what I tell you to do." Tezuka watched as his target's smile faltered, a much more solemn look marred his pretty face. "Even if you have to choose between saving me or catching whoever it is trying to kill me, when I tell you to catch that person, just do it. Don't ask, don't even hesitate. Just do as I say. You get it?"

"But your safety should be my priority."

The blue-eyed beauty flashed him his amused smirk. "No, Tezuka. I'm the one who set your priority here. And your priority is what I ask to do, not what you think you should do."

* * *

The bed gave a soft creak when Tezuka shifted, his tired body refused to welcome the sleep he needed. 'There's something wrong with his reaction,' Tezuka thought. His mind drifted to his first impression on his meeting with Fuji Shuusuke. The way his supposed to be confident stare had alternated to that stormy, almost hopeless, pleading gaze when they talked about his priority as the photographer's bodyguard. 'Was he scared of death?' Tezuka closed his restless eyes. There was something amiss, something he couldn't place his fingers on.

Unconsciously, his mind recalled his conversation with Inui, a little less than 24 hours ago.

"_Why playing bodyguard?" the brown eyed man frowned. He could hear Inui sighed in the other end of the line. "A sniffer, possibly Fuji Shuusuke's or someone who knows about this assassination plan, was making a scene few blocks away from the shop today. Momoshiro had to shot him before he blurted anything out, but there's no guarantee that there won't be another sniffer around, "Tezuka gulped in realization. If Momoshiro had had to raise his gun, then it was a no bullshit situation. Whoever sent the sniffer must have had real good sources. _

_There was a soft rustle on Inui's line, "I've rechecked our method, and I came to the conclusion that it's safer for you to gain his trust first, faking his murder as an accident or another assassin's doing, and just calmly walks out of the picture as a failed bodyguard". _

_Tezuka's frown deepened, "But whoever it is trying to find us won't be able to do anything, Inui. Tezuka Kunimitsu was registered as deceased 10 years ago". _

_Inui snorted, "They won't check any paperwork to find someone from the lower town, Tezuka. Most of us are unregistered, remember? But if Tezuka Kunimitsu is someone from the upper town and currently working as Fuji Shuusuke's bodyguard, they won't spare you a glance, at least until something happen to his rich ass. You just have to play along for a while"._

"_And since when I'm alive and living in the upper?"_

"_Since the time you say yes. The little twerp," there was an irritated 'Hey!' in the background, and Tezuka remembered that Echizen was still somewhere out there, apparently at Inui's. "As I said, the twerp…em, Echizen has prepared the doc, and all we have to do is put the file at the citizens database". By then, Tezuka was already sat in the old sofa in the living room. "So, yes or no?"_

"_Buy me some decent suit"._

_Inui gave an amused snort, "All rite. Consider it done, bodyguard"._

It was a walk in the park for Echizen after that. He bug the local government system with a virus, only for few seconds, slipped his 'legal citizenship document', then took out the virus and leave. No one will notice any change in the database. Inui came to his apartment 3 hours later, Echizen, Oishi, and surprisingly the gun expertise Momoshiro, with suspicious grin plastered on their faces. The next hour was him, parading around his apartment with a massive headache and wearing various kind of suite in various patterns. The jackasses had fun laughing at him of course, until finally he had enough and took his gun, asking in a you're-so-dead-glare if there's any bodyguard with purple, bright green, or red-and-green-checkered patterned suite.

He had them running 50 laps around his apartment after that, 30 for Oishi because he had to use his cane.

Tezuka took a glance at the alarm clock in the nightstand and let out a weary sigh. 2 AM. He really needed to get some sleep.

He was awakened by the faint sound of the front door being opened. His weary mind strangely hoped that it was some other assassin trying to kill Fuji Shuusuke _and_ succeeded, thus he won't have to pull the trigger himself to get the mission done.

He groaned softly, snatched his glasses from the nightstand and stealthily walked outside.

He briefly eyed the front door, sourly thought that whoever it was coming have the apartment key.

And the intruder was obviously not a pro and a male, because Tezuka could hear his steps and his rather heavy breathing.

Then a soft yelp reached his ears. The sound came from his Fuji's bedroom.

He came through the widely opened bedroom door, and found a man straddled the barely awake Fuji Shuusuke in his bed, with a knife in his hand.

It will only take one fatal stab to take Fuji Shuusuke's life, and Fuji was strangely stayed still, maybe too paralyzed and shocked to struggle.

It would've been easier if he let that men do his job.

It would've been easier to stay back and watch Fuji die.

But for a very odd reason, Tezuka found himself stopping the man, threw him across the room, and gave him his most threatening glare. The man gave a small whimper and ran out through the front door. Fuji's grasp in his wrist stopped him from chasing the man.

A horrifying realization gave him a painful chill. He had missed a good opportunity to have his target killed. He had let his target live. He didn't want Fuji Shuusuke dead.

Tezuka calmed his wrecked nerve, and then helped Fuji stand up from his bed. The smaller man tugged the hem of the other's shirt, silently dragged him to the kitchen. He was helping Fuji making two cups of herbal tea when he finally found the most logical reason for his earlier slip.

'It was my pride stopping the murderer,' he assured himself, 'I want to be the one who kill Fuji Shuusuke. Letting someone kill my target was a slight humiliation for me'.

And when he wrapped a blanket around Fuji's shivering body, told him in his gentlest voice to sleep some more and assuring him that he will keep him safe, he told himself that it was merely an act to gain Fuji's trust.

He ignored a small voice inside his head which screamed 'excuses!' and tried to get a little more sleep.

* * *

They had breakfast in silence later. Then Fuji told him his schedule for the day, his voice calm and his slight smile back in place. Both of them leave the apartment an hour later for Fuji's first photo session of the day.

It was not until later in the Fuji's range rover that the young photographer mentions anything about the previous incident.

"Tezuka, I'd appreciate it if you keep this mornings's incident as a secret between us," Tezuka gave the younger man a questioning glance, and Fuji sighed rather heavily. "That was Javier, my ex," Fuji said, his eyes never strayed from the road, his composure strangely stayed relaxed while his long, nimble fingers tapped the steering, in tune with the upbeat song played in the radio. Despite his seemingly calm composure, the spectacled man saw how broken Fuji's eyes looked. Tezuka kept his stoic mask, while his mind questioning if the blue eyed man knew how tragic it sounds, being almost killed by someone who can be considered emotionally close to you.

Tezuka's fingers twitched in an urge to caress those silky strands of honey brown hair, his tongue itched to say anything, anything that would mends the broken look in those mesmerizing blue eyes.

Fuji smirked rather bitterly, "Not a very nice way to wake up, indeed. He had straddled me that way before, but with a completely different kind of passion in his eyes". Tezuka almost rolled his eyes at the somewhat ridiculous statement.

Fuji then shrugged in a defeated manner, "Oh well. At least he's rather cute for a psychotic ex". Tezuka snorted softly.

…And he froze in a sudden realization.

What was that? What the fuck was that?

Did he just let out a snort? Did he just thought about caressing his target's hair and fishing out comforting words from his brain for someone he supposed to kill?

Since when was his mission turned into a sappy love story?

'..Wait a minute. Did I just thought..'

Tezuka gave his all to stop himself from groaning in frustration. He did not just say love. No way, no how.

He was being too relaxed around his target. He was being careless, again.

Tezuka gritted his teeth in a sudden anger. He had let his guard down. How many times had he allowed himself to be distracted by this Fuji Shuusuke? He was his target, and there's no way he would let himself be carried away by the man he supposed to kill.

The night his family died flashed briefly before his eyes.

'They were killed.. by some rich ass like this person. I'm not going to let myself hesitating from killing another one of those monsters. They're going to hell, even if I have to drag them down there with my own hands'.

He fisted his hand tightly and steeled his resolve. There will be no more Fuji Shuusuke in a week. He will finish his mission within this week. He would do it quick and efficient, just like he did so many times before.

Within this week, he promised himself.

'These bastards deserve no live'.

* * *

Ermm. Okay. I personally hate this chapter. I believe I haven't been improving at all in writing.

Gah. I need holidaysssss. Damn it.

And you, what are you waiting for ?

I demand reviews, NOW!


	6. The Studio and The Office

**Disclaimer**: yes, I own Fuji Shuusuke and Tezuka Kunimitsu and even Atobe and I locked them in my closet to have as much smooches they want from each other. Yeah, I've no objection for threesome if it's the three of them. –is dirty minded cuz they're too sexy for their own good-

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**The Studio and The Office**

It was another hectic day at the studio for photographer Fuji Shuusuke. A set of properties were supposed to be delivered that day, yet a problem at the airport made the studio crews, including him as the lead photographer, had to improvise by using the available stuffs as the substitute for the delayed properties. As if that wasn't irritating enough, one of the main models had to choose that day for having a traffic accident. Yes, Fuji felt sorry for the model since she is quite a talented one, but, hey, he absolutely hates her for making his day hell.

And, to top the day, a friggin lighting suddenly fell down, and almost crushed him to the ground.

The keyword being almost.

Tezuka appeared from nowhere, and tugged his arm just in time to save him.

'It was weird,' Fuji thought later when the whole bunch of exhausted crews decided to have a break. The slender brunette was sure he saw something crossed Tezuka's usually calm, stoic façade after he saved him from the fallen lighting. It was something bordering relieved and disappointed expression. It was only for a split second, but Fuji was sure he saw it, those cracks in Tezuka's mask.

Fuji smiled grimly.

He wasn't stupid. He knew that hiring a bodyguard isn't always the safest way to get away from a murderer, especially if the assassin carrying that task is someone hired straight from the lower town. Yes, Fuji Shuusuke had done his research about this assassination plan of his. He sent someone to sniff around in the lower town, and though that sniffer never reported back to him, he was found floated in west district's artificial lake, dead with a fatal shot on his head.

That fact already proofed his suspicion.

Fuji understood that those assassins from the lower town were professional and hardly possible to be detected. They usually used a lot of creative methods to do their job and left nothing for the police and detectives to track them. 'And,' the blue-eyed photographer thought, 'one of those methods is stalking, and possibly disguising themselves to get close to their target'.

Fuji sipped his coffee absent mindedly. 'Disguising themselves as a bodyguard also have many advantages. They will get to be with their target almost every time and using their targets lack of defence..'.

His gaze flew over to Tezuka, who stood about 2 meters away from him. Close enough, but far enough to maintain his charge's personal space. His face was stoic as ever, with his stunning brown eyes on guard. His stylishly tousled hair and athletic figure was obviously an eye candy to set a gaze upon, while his calm demeanor gave off a somewhat authoritative air.

And grimly he smiled. It was a pity that they met in such circumstances. Tezuka Kunimitsu is a really gorgeous man, and he would really like to know him better if only they haven't got such a life threatening situation.

Fuji's grim smile disappeared. He realized that he knew nothing about his bodyguard, except for the fact that he had saved his life twice for past two days. It's true that Fuji had read his employee's document, and he made sure that Tezuka was legally listed as a citizen with no police record, thus confirming that Tezuka has no shady background as a criminal or something close to it.

But then again, document is no valid proof. There's always a way to make some illegal document legal, be it with bribe, forgery, or something else. He considered the possibility of Tezuka being one of those assassins, and surprisingly, found himself being okay about it.

Call it a suicidal tendency, but Fuji Shuusuke was never really afraid of death. His life wasn't really one to be grateful of and Fuji was going to embrace the day that he will be able to get away from the mess that is his life, even if it means he has to die for it. In fact, he's already been waiting for that day to come.

He gulped down what remained in his coffee cup and called his crews to get ready for another photo shot.

'I'm not afraid of death'.

* * *

Tezuka maintained his cool mask. To everyone else, he might look as calm as ever, but inside he was a bundle of messed up nerves. His usually organized mind was a total mess he couldn't even think of any logical reason why he screwed up his own plan earlier.

He had, again, saved Fuji Shuusuke from the clutch of death, this time in a form of a fallen lighting. The thing wasn't just accidentally fall down. Someone had cut the cable and loosen the light from its holder. _He_ was the one who had prepared the whole incident.

But then he, not unconsciously, had saved his target from his own scheme. He obviously had all the opportunities and alibi needed to end his targets life and get away safely from it, but he, with a very clear mind this time, messed it all up with his own hands.

It took all of his self restraint to not scream his frustrations out loud.

This time he had no idea why he had done such massive failure. He tried his best to ignore a small voice inside his head which said 'you don't want him to die, you fool!' over and over again.

'No. I'm not being myself,' Tezuka took a deep breath, calming his riled up mind and schooled all unnecessary thoughts away. 'I need to focus. I can do this. Nothing's going to stop me from killing my target. Nothing'.

His instinct told him he was wrong this time.

And damn it, must Fuji Shuusuke looked so fucking hot when he's all busy and sweaty?

* * *

Fuji was preparing his last batch of photo shot when a blur of red suddenly jumped at him and threw him off balance, straight into Tezuka's arms. A strange sensation grazed his whole being, and Fuji gulped down his whimper and ignored the tingling sensation before finally took a good look at the whatever it was that struck him.

He found a grinning, excited Kikumaru Eiji.

"Fujikoooooo!" he wailed and threw his arms around his best friend's slender figure. Fuji laughed and hugged him back, softly patted the red head's back, and Tezuka took a step back when he realized that the red head was no threat for the blue eyed man.

"Saaa.. Eiji. Where did you get this much of energy? Are all those sugar from the cakes you made boost you up like this?"

Eiji laughed and affectionately patted his friends head. "Mou Fujikoo, but I always like to give you a bear hug since you're so cute, nyaaa". Then his eyes caught Tezuka's, and he finally acknowledge the brown eyed man. His gaze turned into a glare, "Nya, are you Fujiko's new boyfriend?"

Tezuka merely raised his eyebrow as Fuji chuckled in amusement. "Oh. Is this how you chase my previous boyfriend away, Eiji?". Eiji gave his famous pout to his best friend, "Fujikooo stop teasing me nyaaa.."

Tezuka cleared his throat and gave his employer a warning gaze. Fuji's smile widened and tugged his best friend's sleeve. "Well, it's a pity, but he's not my boyfriend.." He motioned for Eiji to bent down to him and whispered in his ear, "He's that bodyguard I hired, Eiji..".

Eiji's eyes widened and the friendly twinkle in his eyes turned serious. "I.. I get it. Well, listen.. Fujiko, can we talk? Somewhere quieter, perhaps?". Fuji, noticing his friend's serious look, nodded in a similar serious expression and silently took the three of them, since Tezuka decided to tag along, to the back of the studio, away from the crews' busy buzz. Tezuka let the two friends had their private talk while he made sure Fuji stayed in his sight, his action made Fuji sent him a thankful smile.

"So, Fujiko, is he any good?" Eiji asked his voice thick with worry. "Yup. He's really calm and in control of the situation.. and his good look is a big bonus for me," Fuji answered playfully. The two friends then giggled quietly.

"Neh, Fujiko.. Did you know that Atobe left for England this morning?" Fuji gave him an affirmative hum and Eiji smiled knowingly, "This is about Yuuta isn't it?" Fuji said nothing, but Eiji didn't expect him too, anyway. "Well, I just thought.. I.. want to make sure you're okay Fujiko. I mean.. urgh.. I don't even know how to say it but all these things with your father and Yuuta and the assassination thing.. I know that they give you a real hard time..Well," he gulped nervously, "just, remember to take care of yourself, okay? If you ever get depressed or anything, please.. just, tell me or Atobe. It doesn't really matter which of us, just don't face it alone, okay?"

Fuji gave him an almost tearful gaze and a soft, serene smile. He squeezed Eiji's hand lightly, "Thanks Eiji..". They turned quite for a while, and then started to chat about other things when suddenly a small beeping sound came from Fuji's blackberry. "Ah, it's a mail from Keigo.." Fuji told his friend after he checked the message alert.

Fuji let Eiji peered closer to the small screen to read the message, his eyes softened when he recognized Atobe's style of mail-writing.

_Shuusuke, you better forgive ore-sama after all of this trouble I've thrown myself into for you._

_Do you know that I have to ditch at least three party invitations just to make sure your dear brother get this damn contract?_

_You owe ore-sama much, Fuji Shuusuke. So take a real good care of your tiny self. You better gain some weight when ore-sama's away, or be ready to have that Eiji shove some food into your mouth with his very own hand. And do yourself a good deed by taking a holiday from your slavery job, Fuji Shuusuke, seriously. Do it immediately or ore-sama's going to kidnap you._

Eiji scoffed behind him and ruffled his hair, "ditto to Atobe's plan. He's an arrogant bastard but he sure knows how to take care of you, Fujiko…"

Fuji snorted in amusement, "He even tried to threaten me via email. That Keigo.."

The rest of the email, however, took a very sentimental turn that even Eiji had blushed a little, realizing that, maybe that email was meant to Fuji only. Atobe didn't even bother to majestically claim himself as ore-sama for the last 2 lines of the email.

_Shuusuke, I mean it when I said I want you to be okay. Please be okay for me._

_I love you._

He peered at Fuji's tender smile and scratched his head in an imaginary itch. "Mm, Fujiko… are you both sure that you're only best friend to each other?"

Fuji only gave him one of his secretive smile, "Saaa.." then the blue eyed man walked back to the studio, Tezuka trailed behind him silently.

Eiji stared at his friend's retreating back and sighed in a dejected manner, "Mou… I'm so friggin curious here.."

Fuji's smile faltered and replaced by a frustrated sigh, 'I don't understand it myself Eiji.. then how can I put it into words for you?'

* * *

The young photographer resumed his task at the studio, giving his orders to his crews while trying to ignore both of Eiji's inquiring glance and Tezuka's intense gaze.

He pursed his lips slightly, forcing his mind to reel back to his job. Apparently he did a bad job at it since his mind kept turn back to Eiji's question regarding his relationship with the Atobe heir.

Yes, they are best friend to each other. But there was always something more between them, as if they are something more than just friends but never will be lovers. Both of them are too scarred with the dark side of human relationships to lose their friendship for having a risky one. Fuji had been a witness to the way his father's love and devotion for his mother turned his father into a hardhearted person, and Atobe disguised his broken heart of seeing his own father recklessly leave him and his mother for another woman he had fallen for. Love caused them nothing but pain.

If they ever be lovers, then failed to find their happiness in such relationship between them, then they are going to lose each other. Both of them are going to be crushed by another failed relationship, and it was the last thing they want. Best friend is somewhat platonic and safe, a relationship where they can still have each other and tried to pursue their own path of happiness at the same time, while always having a sanctuary they need in each other's side if they ever fail or hurt along the way.

* * *

'Fuji Shuusuke is a walking enigma,' Tezuka thought while they driving back to Fuji's apartment from the studio that early evening. He was both shining from his beauty and talent and at the same time dark and gloomy from his relationships problem. Tezuka peeked at the sleeping figure beside him. He had offered to drive for Fuji since the blue eyed man looked almost ready to pass out from exhaustion.

He planned to take Fuji to the border of the upper-lower town, finish him there and disguise it as a robbery.

Less than an hour later, Tezuka found himself tucked his target to bed.

He had lost count of times when he raised his hands, ready to take his target's life but end up do something unexpected, like caressing his target's hair while he was asleep.

He hated to admit it, but Fuji Shuusuke's hair was really as soft as it looked, and it felt heavenly to run his fingers through those honey brown silky strands. He was only curios before, but then he realized he had, again, let his guard down and initiated unnecessary physical contact with his target.

'Curiosity kill the cat.. and soon my sanity if I can't control myself'.

He tucked some of the silky strands behind Fuji's left ear and turned to the door, silently left the main bedroom. Two hours later, when Fuji was all better and refreshed, Tezuka admitted to himself for the first time that, yes, Fuji Shuusuke is really beautiful and he, the never fail in a mission Tezuka Kunimitsu, is physically attracted to his own target.

But that won't stop him from doing his job, right?

* * *

The rest of the evening had been fairly calm and relaxing for photographer Fuji Shuuusuke before an emergency call from Hayama ruined the whole nice ordeal.

"Young master.. will you please come the main office now?" his chirpy voice sent an irritating sensation in the brunette's ears.

"Hm.. now, as in.. now?"

"Yes,, now, young master, please.. it's.. it's an urgent situation!"

"But Hayama-san, it's almost.." he glanced at the digital clock on the coffee table, "9 pm, and I've had a busy day.. can't it wait until tomorrow?" A frantic 'no' from Hayama threw away his hope for a calm evening and a good night sleep. He sighed in defeat and reluctantly murmured see you in an hour to Hayama.

As if in cue, Tezuka appeared with his jacket and key car on his hand. Fuji smiled gratefully and took them from Tezuka's hand, snatching his blackberry and a bottle of mineral water on the way to the front door. "Saa, Tezuka, I'm sorry that you have to keep up with my ridiculous hours.." he said once he and Tezuka stepped into the lift to get his car in the apartment's basement. "It's my job, Fuji" answered his bodyguard with a flat intonation, but Fuji could sense a faint irritation in his voice. Fuji held back his laugh and stepped into his range rover, while Tezuka, wordlessly took the key from him started the car.

An hour later, upon seeing the anxious look in Hayama's face, Fuji started to get nervous.

"Hayama-san, what happened?" Hayama nervously cleaned his glasses with his handkerchief and gulped, too distracted to pay any attention to the silent Tezuka who stand a few steps behind Fuji. "It's… It's master Fuji.. He wants to see you now, young master". Fuji sighed, he didn't know what his father wants but judging from Hayama's expression, it wasn't going to be pleasant.

He then muttered his thanks to the anxious secretary and told Tezuka to wait outside while he talked with his dad. He carefully approached his father's personal office, only to be stopped by Hayama's slightly trembling hand. "Young master.. please be careful. Try not to upset your father.. he's..he's not really being logical this time.." Fuji gave him a reassuring smile and nodded gratefully.

* * *

'Not really being logical' is an understatement.

His father was pissed.

The second the younger Fuji walked into his father's office, his father's mounted anger lashed out to him in the form of a thrown coffee cup. Fuji Shuusuke thanked his luck and reflexes for he could've been hit by the flying cup. But upon seeing his father's enraged face, he decided he'd prefer head wounds anytime.

He knew at some point that he shouldn't hope to find his father being the same 'papa' he had years ago when his beloved mother was still alive, but seeing how cold and hard hearted his father had become gave his heart painful stabs each time. He bit his lip and unconsciously stiffened his shoulder. The brunette took a deep breath and steeled himself, refused to show any fear towards his father.

"Father," he greeted, his heart dropped realizing that his voice had trembled a little from fear and nervousness.

"DON'T YOU DARE 'FATHER' ME, YOU UNGRATEFUL KID!" his father spat in anger, his hand grabbed another thing on his desk to throw his eldest son with. Another crashing sound resonated in the otherwise silent room.

"WHAT IS THIS? IS THIS WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING OUTSIDE THE OFFICE?" Several tabloid and report papers are thrown to Fuji's face as his father walked to stand face to face with him and used both of his hands to grab the collar of his shirt. "You play around, creating gossips and affairs while abandoning your job for your own family. How bright you are, my child," his father hissed vehemently, "When will you start to use your head instead of your body to live your life, huh? Now I wonder if you even slept with some of our board members to gain their support and kicked your brother out of this country 3 years ago!"

"Father, what brought this? What.. what happened?" Fuji asked with slightly shaken voice.

"What happened? You happened! Your behavior happened!" Fuji frowned from confusion, and then he saw his father's eye glanced coldly at the papers thrown at him earlier.

There, among the scattered papers on the granite floor, was a headline from a well known tabloid.

It was written in bold letters, with the picture of him and Javier walking side to side, their hands entwined.

'JAVIER ALVAREZ LUIZ: YES, FUJI SHUUSUKE SLEPT WITH ME, AND HE CHOSE ME OVER HIS DAMN COMPANY AND STUDIO'.

Fuji felt anger bubbled inside him, 'that little bastard..'; he painfully gripped his father's wrist with all of his anger and disbelief. "What? Father, do you believe gossips more than your own son? Those are only rumors, father! I did nothing of the sorts and Yuuta moved to London by his own will! I love him and I would never push him away!" he hissed rather desperately, and felt his blood ran cold when he saw his father sneered in disgust. "I belief their words more than yours. Somehow I felt they are much more reliable than son who ran away from meetings because he thought that his homosexual life is so much more important and entertaining… No, that person is not even my son… You're no son of mine!"

He felt his whole world shaken out of its axis, fear grasped his already ragged breathing and his eyes are burned with the upcoming tears. "No… father.. no… believe me.."

The hands in his collar loosened, and his father tapped his head with his fingers as if he tried to planted every single word in his eldest son. "You killed your mother, and now you want to ruin your father's work. You demon child. Your mother shouldn't have died in your place! You. Killed. My. Wife!"

That had turned Fuji's worst fear into life. Another person he loved had left him again.

* * *

He couldn't stand it anymore. All of those thrown things and shouted words are muffled down by the thick oak door, but the distress pacing of that Hayama-person was killing him and he had an irrational fear of letting Fuji Shuusuke stand alone with his father inside that room.

He knew he shouldn't interfere, but his legs moved faster than his logic.

The next thing he knew was the door being pushed open with his anxious hand. And the sight of Fuji Shuusuke sat on the cold floor; his eyes empty and his expression lose all of its light and will to life, it broke his heart he didn't even remember that he shouldn't felt anything more towards his target aside from physical attraction.

"Back off!" he heard himself spat those words on cold voice, and angrily pushed Fuji Shuusuke's father away from the young photographer.

"Fuji," he shook the slender man gently. He cursed under his breath when Fuji's eyes remind vacant and unfocused, as if he had withdrawn into a cave no one able to reach to hide himself from the world; to protect himself. He opted to shake the smaller man once more, but then he sensed the still enraged present of Fuji's father behind him. He really couldn't stand that man.

He then scooped Fuji's slender figure into his arm and whispered softly into his ear, "Don't worry, I'll take you home".

As he took steady, anger powered steps to their car, Fuji wrapped securely in his arms, Tezuka no longer heard Hayama's anxious voice nor another raged scream from the older Fuji. It was the the sound of his shoes on the granite floor he heard, slightly heavy with the extra burden in his arms. It was his thumping of his heart he heard, both of his anger and unexpected proximity between Fuji's body and his own. Fuji's body felt so warm yet so limp, so powerless. Every feeling within him swirled and tangled in a heap of mess. He could no longer summon the sense of a well trained assassin he has. Protecting Fuji Shuusuke was the only mission he has at that very moment.

'To hell with the assassination plan'.

* * *

mmmm.

Awrite. Whaddya think?

This chapter is longer than usual because I've just realized how short the 4th chapter is… and I decided to repay that in this chapter.

Gah. Now I understand the feeling of a writer *bowing sorry for those writers I cursed because they haven't updated for ages*. Okay, biggest respect for those who still stick with this fic.

Now, see that tiny, sweet pretty button below? Click it and share your thoughts or ideas with me.. It doesn't even matter even if it slightly stings my ego. Yes, I have become that much of a review-whore, people.


	7. The Old Case

**Disclaimer** : Meh. Me owns no Fuji, no Tezuka, no Atobe… sad, huh?

So sooooooorry for the late update, people X(

Thank you for those who are patient enough to wait for this fic! Luv yaaaa!

[Dedicated to Shari-chan cuz she brough me those choco puddings to counter attack the yucky hospital foods and she made me swear that I'll finish this fic even when my acute-gastritis case and stomach infection kick back. Hier is jouw dikke kus, zusje X3]

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**The Old Case**

"I knew something was wrong when he didn't call me," Kikumaru Eiji said as he rushed to his best friend's bedroom, Tezuka trailed silently behind him. He gave a strange choked sound, like a strained sob, upon seeing his friend's blank expression; his usual cheerfulness had already drained from him since he received Tezuka's call half an hour ago. "Has he been like this since then?" he asked Tezuka in a tired voice. Tezuka nodded emotionlessly though if someone looks closer, the brown eyed man was clenching his fists in masked anxiousness.

Eiji then shook his head in disbelief, "I know that his old man is.. is evil and heartless, but this.. this is beyond my wildest expectation". With a sad expression in his face, the red haired man took a careful step towards his friend.

"Fujiko…" he called softly. Fuji, who was sitting on his bed, while hugging his knee, gave no reaction. His vacant blue eyes were staring into nothing; his beautiful face was pale and stained with dried tears. Tezuka gulped unconsciously. It frightened him, the way Fuji trembled from shock and being unresponsive to his calls. He was feeling so helpless, the first one after so many years, and he was losing his mind. So he had wrapped Fuji in a thick blanket, and when the slight tremor of that slender body didn't stop, he had sat behind the deeply shocked young man and hugged him as gentle as he could manage; whispering all the soothing vocabularies he knew just to bring back the normally serene photographer back.

It didn't help much.

And now he could only watched as Eiji wrapped his arms around that slender body just like he did before, the red head whispered something to Fuji's ear softly, so softly that even his well trained ear couldn't hear anything.

Fuji suddenly closed his eyes, and then sobbed in agony. "He hates me, Eiji.. everyone I love.. they left me alone…" Eiji choked in his own suppressed sob, "Is it my fault, Eiji? Is it? What should I do…?"

Eiji tightened his hold around his friend's body and said gently, "You did nothing wrong, Fujiko.. nothing wrong.." Fuji let out a small whimper, "It has never been your fault. Your siblings departures, your father, your mother's death, nothing is your fault.."

"I saw them Eiji, I saw their eyes.. the agony, the disappointment.. the disgust.." an eerie smile on those rosy lips sent a shiver down Tezuka's spine. "I saw Mama leaving.. she said see you tonight, Eiji.. She called me her little angel.. did she knew how much of a demon I was.. how much of a demon I _am_? I sent her to her death, Eiji…" Eiji almost wailed in frustration, his hug tightened, "Noooo Fujiko, don't do this… stop hurting yourself… stop Fujiko… Shuusuke.. stop…"

Those eerie smiled remained plastered on the pale face, and Tezuka gritted his teeth.

'Stop it you fool'

"Nee san had it bad, you know? She never looked at me in the eye after Mama's funeral. She knew I was the one who begged Mama to go, she knew I was the one who _killed_ our mother"

"Stop… dammit, Fujiko stop… Noooo… don't do this…" frustration and anger and fear flashed in Eiji's eyes as he put his hands on Fuji's cheek, and he shivered from the coldness of those pale skin beneath his trembling hands. "Look at me… Dammit Fujiko, look at me.."

"Yuuta was too young to understand back then.. but I've always known since Nee san left that he would left me too. He did. He said, 'have it your way, Aniki. Go ahead and take everything I have, take everything I want'"

It hurts. It hurts so much to see that side of Fuji Shuusuke laid bare before his eyes that Tezuka had to clench his eyes shut. He refused to see this Fuji he didn't know. He wanted to run, to get away from the naked, raw form of fear and despair and agony oozed from that slender body. He refused to acknowledge them as something he knew so well… something that has been marring his very own being after his family's death. The feeling of losing everything you had and left with nothing but helplessness.

And he knew he had to stop Fuji from strangling his own soul.

The tall brunette took some cautious steps towards that shivering figure on the bed, his feet felt so heavy. Gently, he pulled Eiji away from his best friend, and he flashed the red head an apologetic look before he gave Fuji a fast blow in the stomach with his fist which made the smaller brunette unconscious.

With Fuji's ranting gone, it was then only Eiji's sobs that can be heard on the room. Tezuka sighed tiredly, and put his hand on the young patissier's shoulder. "Go home and take a rest, Kikumaru-san.. I'll make sure he sleeps tonight."

The red head nodded reluctantly, then gave one last look to his unconscious friend on the queen sized bed before he mumbled, "thanks.. call me if anything happen" and walked out the door, his shoulder slumped tiredly.

* * *

"What happened with his mother? It wasn't stated on his profile." Inui mumbled confusedly, "You know anything, brat?"

"Nah. Heard it for the first time." A slurping sound from the Chinese take out, "Owihi-han?"

"I never heard either, and don't talk with your mouth full, Echizen.." Oishi shifted uncomfortably on his seat. He felt pity for the young photographer. "That was really painful…"

"Hn. The more reason to kill him, rite?" Echizen said, and he cursed loudly when Inui swatted the back of his head with his palm. "What was that for, lab-rat?"

"For you being a heartless brat, chibi" Inui spat back, and Oshi had to hold back a loud sigh for the informant and the young hacker pointless squabble. "But we are _supposed_ to be heartless, we're fucking _assassins_, dude" Echizen said before he took another mouthful of the Chinese food in his hand.

The raven haired barista bit his lower lips in that remark, 'true… but still..' Oishi then let out a tired groan, "This turns out to be a rather great drama, isn't it?"

Inui scratch the back of neck before he stood up from the chair, stretched his body out and made a way to the back door in their coffee-shop-turned-headquarter, "work your ass and find out, brat. Make yourself useful, I'm too tired to dig around for info."

Echizen gave the walking out informant his mid finger, shouting, "Piss off you ungrateful dick!"

* * *

Tezuka stood quietly beside the bed where his target laid unconscious. His head throbbed mercilessly and he knew that it was best for him to catch some sleep himself before his charge woke up. Instead, he stood still and ran a hand through his dark brown strands, not knowing what to do because at that very moment, there was nothing he wanted more than to lay beside that mentally beaten figure and wrapped his arms around that slender body, shielding him from whatever harm that may come after. At least for that night if not forever.

'Forever?'

Tezuka gave an uncharacteristic snort at his own muse. 'Since when did I turn into be a big sap like this?'

He ran his gaze upon his defenseless target, noticing the supposedly unimportant details on one of his very rare mellow mood. His lips twitched at the sight of those rosy, slightly parted lips, and he couldn't resist trailing his fingers on them to see, to feel if those lips are as soft as it looked. There was that strange feeling inside his stomach when the same fingers continued its journey to the soft, yet damp from tears right cheek. The rest of his body tingled when his fingers tracing the adorable nose on the serene face, and his heart raced when he wondered how it feels to softly nuzzle that nose with his own.

He pulled his finger back quickly when Fuji's long lashes fluttered for a split second, his heart beat wildly.

Fuji shifted rather restlessly on his spacious bed. And when he whimpered softly from something that seemed to be a nightmare, Tezuka's rationality flew out of his head.

The stoic brunette took off his glasses and slipped beside his sleeping target while mentally cursing himself for being so weak against the defenseless, gorgeous slender figure beside him. Slowly, he scooted closer to the smaller brunette and took him gently into his arms. No matter what he told himself, he couldn't resist burying his face in those soft honey brown strands. Tezuka felt Fuji relaxed in his arms, and slowly, he too answered the gentle call of Morpheus while whispering, "if I knew any sort of warmth that can comforts you, I'll give it to you…"

Because Fuji was cold and lonely, just like he was, from the cold reality of their lives.

But strangely, the idea of them being together, tucked under the same thick blanket, made Tezuka felt better.

* * *

Echizen tapped his fingers rather furiously. His sharp golden eyes scanned the document before him for the third time, and his mind raced, replaying the earlier events of his life and put them together with the event stated on the 11 year old document.

Fuji Yoshiko was killed 3 km away from the orphanage that had been his home for years, 3 days before Christmas 11 years ago. He remembered that Christmas vividly, because it was the first Christmas he had with a Christmas present in hand and a great party to enjoy with the other kids on the orphanage. He remembered the glow on their faces and the happiness on the air that night. They had prayed together for whoever it was that had given them such generous amounts of money and Christmas presents.

What was her intention for visiting the orphanage 11 years ago? She couldn't possibly just driving around since there was nothing else beside the orphanage on that area, and rich people of the upper town did not visit the lower town for a simple sightseeing. She was robbed and killed in her car, her driver also a victim of that brutal act of robbery. A royalty like her didn't usually travel in a car other than sedan, except for some special occasion or in a need of bigger space for baggage. And from the type of the car she used that time, she had a lot with her.

Had Fuji Yoshiko been the one who gave them those presents and money?

But he had no doubt that the presents came only the night before Christmas. She was dead already by then.

His instinct told him that there was something missing in that puzzle. There was something amiss, yet he couldn't quite pin point it.

Echizen let out a tired huff and stretch himself in a catlike manner.

He was curious, and anything Echizen Ryoma wants to know, he will get it no matter what.

* * *

"_Mama.. I'm scared…" he covered his face with both of his cold, small hands. He felt his mother hugged him gently._

"_Shhh… bad things, go away, Shuusuke won't see you again, Shuusuke won't hear you again, bad things go away.." her voice was a lullaby, was a mantra that soothe his very being._

_Then he felt his mothers covered his ears with her soft, gentle hands. Nothing can hurt him anymore. He felt safe. And all he had to do is count, then.._

"_One.."_

"_Two.."_

"_Three.."_

Fuji woke up at the sound of Eiji's voice and the smell of freshly brewed coffee.

He felt so tired, and his eyes had refused to remain fully opened. It was the kind of feeling when he wake up after he had got a long, tiring night, and then cried himself to sleep.

There was a sharp pain in his chest, and the petite brunette suddenly felt his painful real life dragged himself out of his half dreaming state. He sighed heavily when the memory of his father and his lashed out anger the night before flashed before his eyes. He forced himself to inhale deeply, a rather futile attempt to ease the pain in his chest.

Then he recognized an unfamiliar scent on the pillow beside him, as if someone had lain there beside him the entire night. Fuji frowned slightly, remembering the feeling of being cradled in a pair of strong, sturdy arms the night before. 'Was it Eiji?' he thought. The scent was an unfamiliar, yet comforting one.

Somehow he felt safe. Like he actually, finally, _belong_.

"Fujiko? Are you awake?" Eiji's soft voice chased his thoughts away, and he forced himself to smile, "Mm, morning Eiji.." The rather crestfallen look on his best friend's face told him that he failed miserably, but, hey, at least he tried.

"Morning.. Come have some breakfast with us, 'kay?" Fuji gave Eiji another smile, and let himself be gently dragged out of his bedroom. Eiji had made another soft cake for him, and he suddenly felt like crying from the surge of affection he felt towards his best friend. Fuji felt really thankful that Eiji had tried to put up his usual cheerful self, even though the red head had failed to hide his sad and worried eyes. The feeling of having someone who actually care about his well being made him felt better, though last night's confrontation with his father still gave a painful sting in his chest, like a still freshly gaping wound.

"Saa, Eiji…" Eiji looked up from his soft cake and Fuji's gaze softened at the sight, "thank you for holding me when I sleep last night.."

Tezuka choked on his morning coffee, and Eiji gave him a puzzled look, "But I went home last night and left you here with Tezu.." Eiji's puzzled gaze instantly turned suspicious. The red head pointed his fork at Fuji's stoic bodyguard, his eyes accusing, "You! What did you do…"

_Parapparap, para para para para paraaaaam…_

Eiji's cell phone had rung loudly in _that_ familiar pink panther ringtone which Tezuka hated so much, drowning the rest of Eiji's somewhat angry remark.

Tezuka suddenly felt like he can kiss whoever it was who called and hum that pink panther tune all day.

"Grrr. This isn't over, Tezuka!" the irritated red head stated before he went to talk on his phone.

Fuji lifted his brow at Tezuka's stoic facade -or what's left of it after he choked rather comically-, calmly demanded an explanation from the taller brunette, "Well…?"

"You were shivering last night." Fuji's eyebrow went a little higher and Tezuka could feel his cheek warmed from embarrassment 'Shit shit shit no, please, not a fucking blush!'. "Well, I.. I thought you were cold, and I couldn't find another blanket, so.." Tezuka mentally cringed, 'Fuck that was a fucking lame excuse..'

Fuji held back an amused snort, then shrugged in a rather annoyingly 'yeah-whatever' fashion upon Tezuka's unconvincing answer, and Tezuka mentally cursed himself for losing his cool and choked on his coffee, God dammit, he _choked_, how stoic and professional was that.

And he knew that a fucking hidden camera in that room was linked to Echizen's computer. He knew that his comrades were watching, somewhere out there.

Shit. He felt like having a sudden suicidal urge.

* * *

"At last, the moment had come when Tezuka Kunimitsu let his guard down before our eyes! All hail Fuji Shuusuke's unbeatable charm!" Momoshiro exclaimed in an overly dramatic tone. Inui's glasses glinted evilly and Oishi couldn't hold his amused chuckle.

This mission was so far the most entertaining of all the missions they had done together. It was the first time they got to witnessed Tezuka, the ever so calm, don't-let-your-guard-down Tezuka Kunimitsu loses his cool, stuttered, and blushed; though only in a very faint hue of red. Being Tezuka's friend for more than 11 years made Oishi aware that his stoic friend was very rarely at loss of what to do in every situation. But then again, there he was, with two of his teammates, witnessing that nearly impossible occurrence happened before them.

The sound of Echizen's tired groan from the hacker's bedroom caught Oishi's attention.

"Echizen? You okay?" He called the youngest member of their so called team cautiously. He heard a short grunt from Echizen, and shortly, Echizen came out of his room, his eyes tired from lack of sleep and a rather old looking document was clutched in his hand. "Did I miss something?" he asked tiredly, suppressing his yawn. "Oh, you've just missed the big show, Ryoma!" Momoshiro said excitedly. The young sniper then began retelling the epic-Tezuka-moment which Echizen missed.

Echizen didn't even pay attention to half of Momo's rant.

The two older occupants in the cramped living room seemed to realize it too, and Oishi put a hand on Momoshiro's shoulder to stop his blabber. "Okay kiddo. Spill it." Inui gave Echizen a calculating look, his hands akimbo. Echizen sighed while handling the documents to Oishi's awaiting hand.

"It's about our target's mother. Her name was Fuji Yoshiko. She was robbed and killed 11 years ago, 3 days before Christmas, in south lower town.. about 3 km from Seishun Orphanage" Echizen said somberly, and Momoshiro's eyes widened in realization. "Wa..wait.. Seishun? _Our_ seishun?" he stuttered. Echizen nodded, his fingers tapped restlessly on his right knee.

"Did you remember that Christmas, 11 years ago, Takeshi?" he asked Momoshiro, who had been his companion since the two was merely little kids on the said orphanage, while pouring himself a glass of milk. "Yeah, of course. I remember it was the only Christmas with real presents, and real food after so many years. Said that there was a huge donation made by a philanthropist or something…"

"Do you think that Fuji Yoshiko was the one who made that donation, Echizen?" Oishi concluded, his index finger tapped his chin absentmindedly.

"Probably, but I was sure that the presents and money came on the night before Christmas while she was killed 2 days before that. So, unless her killer turned into a saint and delivered Seishun the presents and the money, it's more likely that it was someone else who donated to the orphanage." Echizen said thoughtfully.

"But then what was she doing in the lower town, then?" Momoshiro mumbled softly, while Inui scribbled furiously on his notebook. "Based on the documents.. from the type of vehicle she used, her vehicle's direction, which is very likely going to the orphanage since there was nothing else in the southern part to go to.. my data concluded that there is 73% possibility that she was indeed the mysterious philanthropist," the spectacled informant said in his usual business like tone, "Still, I think there's something missing here.."

"Actually… I don't get it. What does it have to do with the mission anyway?" Momoshiro asked after a few minutes of silence between them. Echizen snorted, "Nothing, actually". Momoshiro gaped confusedly, "Eeeh? Then why?".

"Curious and curiouser…" Inui smirked.

"It seems like we enjoy this mission a little too much, huh?" Oishi said while making his way to the small kitchen, "Coffee anyone?".

* * *

Eiji left soon after he picked his phone, but not before giving Fuji his tightest bear hug and Tezuka his most threatening glare.

"There goes the red head hurricane…" Fuji mumbled absently, a small smile on his lips.

Tezuka glanced at the younger brunette. He wanted to look deep into those cerulean eyes and making sure he was okay, but he knew that it will only drive Fuji away back into his shell again.

Tezuka took a deep breath and approach the other man with two cup of coffee in his hands. "Are you working today?" he asked and handed Fuji one of them, looking at the view outside the window. Fuji shrugged nonchalantly, "Not if there's no call. Might still have to sort some things out at the studio, though."

The awkward silence between them made Fuji shivered. He didn't know why but he felt safe around the spectacled brunette, not because Tezuka was his bodyguard, but it had something to do with the older man's demeanor and his simple gestures toward him, like he actually cared about Fuji's well being.

And it scared him.

It scared him that Tezuka had that kind of effect on him. Fuji never really feels safe around people. Even with Eiji and Keigo, his best friends, he felt comfortable, not safe. He had only know Tezuka for less than a month, and he wasn't expecting himself to have that kind of feeling towards the brown eyed man. It was such a foreign, unfamiliar feeling, after so many years since his mother died, and Fuji was afraid that he would lose his defense. He was afraid that Tezuka would be able to break through all the walls he had built for years, and then leaves him crumbling again, alone.

He heard Tezuka put his now empty cup on the table beside him, and he promptly schooled his thoughts away.

"Do you think… do you think it will be better to just forget? You know, like, I'll have someone erased my memories and then leave this country, starting over again somewhere, away from here with a new identity and new life?" Fuji sat uncomfortably on the fluffy sofa, never taking his eyes of the scenery outside the window.

When Tezuka remained quiet, the blue eyed man laughed somewhat awkwardly, "Sorry. I'm being weird today.." He stood up and brought his empty cup to the kitchen, only to be stopped midway by Tezuka's gentle grasp on his forearm.

"If you don't defeat your fear, you'll only hurt yourself more the next time you have to face it." Tezuka said on his usual flat, emotionless tone. Fuji smiled softly. 'I gotta face it, huh?'

"Say, Tezuka… will you do something for me?" Tezuka nodded, and Fuji put his cup on a nearby table then turned to face Tezuka. "This might sound weird, but this is what my mother used to do to make me feel better. I'm going to cover my face with my hands, and you need to whisper, 'bad things, go away, Shuusuke won't see you again, Shuusuke won't hear you again, bad things go away', then cover my ears with your hands. Release them after I count to 3. Okay?"

A flicker of confusion flashed on Tezuka's brown eyes. But when Fuji covered his face with his hands, waiting for him to do the rest, he was clear on what he need to do, why he need to do that.

Softly, he whispered those words on Fuji's right ear, like a mantra. He felt Fuji shuddered when he covers his ears with his hands.

"One…" he wanted to protect this blue eyed angel, he wanted to be the one who chased the shadows away, the only thing that prevent him to shine in his true beauty.

"Two…" he knew what task he had in his hand, he knew he had his own shadows to deal with.. but maybe, maybe if he could make _them_ face their shadows together..

"Three" he felt Fuji's hands move away from his face, and quickly, Tezuka kept those hands on place by placing his own bigger hands on them. Fuji gave a small surprised sound, and Tezuka whispered again on his right ear, "Be brave".

He gave the younger man a soft peck on the forehead before he released those soft hands.

Fuji gave him a small playful smirk, "What was that, you sneaky?"

Tezuka shrugged calmly, "Improvisation".

When he turn his back to Fuji and walked to his room, he let himself smile softly.

* * *

Yeah. IMO Tezuka's a closet big, huuuuge sap… kekeke.

Okay that's it, people. Let me know what you think ;)

Reviews will be given lots of love and a good home.


	8. The Things in Motion

Disclaimer : this bit is soooo boring X(

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**The Things in Motion**

The two-bedrooms apartment were once again quiet when Echizen and Momoshiro went out, decided that they need to do an overdue visit to Seishun orphanage, their home for the early 13 years of their life.

The two best friends grew up together on the orphanage. They were scouted at the same year by the orphanage's people, and thus experienced the difficulties of finding their place on the orphanage 'family' at the same time. They became friends almost instantly, and when Momoshiro decided to leave the orphanage and find a job, Echizen followed his path without any hesitation.

Oishi sipped his coffee in a silent, almost brooding manner. Normally at this time of the day, he would've been at his coffee shop, chatting with one of his customer. But the current mission had sent his mood into turmoil by its thick drama.

They rarely had to do some long-time missions. The last one they had to do more than kill-then-flee mission was 3 years ago. They had to infiltrate a high class mafia organization to kill its leader. With the leader's numerous bodyguards, it was nearly impossible to do their job in their usual manner. So as Tezuka and Oishi made their way to gain the trust from the organization's inner circle, Inui had them provided with information and tactics to take their target's life. They had succeeded to kill the target with a single shot in the head, but they barely made their way out alive. There were more than one bullet wounding their bodies and Tezuka almost died in blood loss, but Tezuka recovered with some scars as memento of their near-death experience while Oshi's left leg never fully recovered.

They avoided long term missions since then, and this assassination plan of Fuji Shuusuke was the first one after that mission 3 years ago.

Oishi sighed warily. The personal contact to Fuji Shuusuke's life had poked his humanity. He was somehow reminded that their targets were also a human with their own life problems. They probably had wives or husbands, kids, friends, family, lovers. And Fuji was no different. He was a young man with talents and money; everything that he thought was needed in one's life, and Oishi was startled to learn that Fuji's life was as bitter as his own, or even Tezuka's. His insights of Fuji's life problems made his mind tangled in confusion. Was Fuji Shuusuke really worth to be killed after all?

A soft creak of the seat beside him ended his thoughts. He glanced to his side and found Inui sat there, watching him with the similar brooding expression.

"By the looks on your face, I believe we are thinking about the same matters," the informant muttered. Oishi nodded slowly, "You saw that too, Inui. Tezuka was as confused as we are. You know him. He might seem stoic and heartless, but he always got nightmares from taking other's life". Inui tapped his chin, "They are similar in a way, Tezuka and Fuji. Fuji's might not dead like Tezuka's, but with that kind of family.. well, if I were him I'd rather pretend they're dead. His friends are the only thing that kept him going".

Oishi hummed shortly, his mind occupied with something else. "Inui, that peck on the forehead Tezuka did…" he heard Inui chuckled rather sadly beside him and he grinned in dry amusement. "There was no way that it was an act to gain one's trust. Simply unnecessary…"

When Echizen and Momoshiro came back and found the barista and the informant sat next to each other with those similar brooding expressions, the two can't help but laugh. The two older occupants in the room frowned in confusion while Echizen smirked and Momo had a hard time stopping his laugh.

"Both of you looked like doting parents…" Echizen said smugly, earning a hard smack from Inui.

* * *

Tezuka felt his cell phone vibrates at 3 in the morning. He was instantly wide awake, being a light sleeper from habits and necessity of his profession. He glanced at the display and found the sight of unfamiliar number there.

He knew who it was that called him at such an ungodly hour.

"Tezuka," he heard Inui's voice over the line.

"Hn," Tezuka rubbed his sleepy eyes. 'Inui better make it quick..'

"Ha. The almighty Tezuka Kunimitsu actually sounds tired. It's in the middle of mission, captain. You've never sounds so exhausted in the middle of mission before. Is playing bodyguard that big of a challenge?"

Tezuka gritted his teeth. Why the hell was his informant so talkative anyway? "Baby sitting Fuji Shuusuke does".

On the other side of the line, Inui Sadaharu tried to contain his amused chuckle.

"You enjoyed it nonetheless. With a little morning blush and improvisation, I'm sure you'll keep him entertained, Tezuka".

Tezuka thanked whatever Gods exists that they weren't talking via video phone or something. His hair color and expression didn't really match the flaming red color of his face.

"Inui," he said after an exasperated sigh with a threatening, and hopefully despite his wrecked captain composure, intimidating voice.

Did he just hear Inui _giggled_?

What on earth happened to his teammates while he stuck with his bodyguard role?

"All right," Inui sighed then cleared his throat, his voice turned serious and business-like, "this may seems a little unimportant to the mission, but considering your circumstances now…"

"Just spill it out Inui".

"It's about Fuji's mother, Fuji Yoshiko".

Tezuka frowned and sat up.

"After we saw Fuji's mental breakdown, we got curious and dug out some documents concerning Fuji Yoshiko's death. And it was somewhat intriguing since she was killed and robbed, about 3 km from Seishun orphanage".

Tezuka's eyes widened in surprise, "the one in the south lower town?"

"Yeah. Considering all the facts stated in the investigation document, she was on her way to the orphanage, with relatively a lot things in her car, and probably a lot of money too. Problem is, two days after her death, the night before Christmas, the orphanage received presents and very generous amount of money. Echizen and Momoshiro went to Seishun, and according to the people there, the bank cheque was signed with Fuji Yoshiko's name".

Tezuka inhaled sharply in realization, "But Fuji Yoshiko was dead and _robbed_".

"Exactly. Why would the robber deliver the money there? There is something missing in picture, Tezuka. Of course there is possibility that it was someone Fuji Yoshiko or Fuji family sent there, but that wouldn't explain why Fuji Yoshiko was on her way to the Orphanage".

Tezuka massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Well, since we're already curious about it, and since you enjoy yourself so much in that cozy penthouse of Fuji Shuusuke, we might as well find some entertainment here with this little detective act".

"Inui.." he gave another warning and he heard Inui chuckled nervously. The informant didn't want to mess up with an irritated Tezuka Kunimitsu, anyway.

"But, Tezuka, I have to ask you something," Inui sighed and dropped his final, and actual, purpose of the night call, "Do you plan to carry on with this mission, Tezuka? Will you still be able to kill Fuji Shuusuke?"

Tezuka found himself froze.

"Don't bother with denials, Tezuka. I saw it, the kiddos saw it, Oishi saw it. All of your acts and gestures around Fuji, they had been so real. And we actually saw you _live_, Tezuka. After these past 10 years.. we actually saw you relaxed, and not having that look that screams revenge or stubbornness to survive whatever it is between you and your missions. That time, in front of Fuji, we saw _you_, Tezuka".

Tezuka felt his fingers shook. He did feel different around Fuji, but he didn't actually realized how or in what way, until someone actually pointed it out to him.

It might seem like a good thing, but no, Tezuka wasn't feeling good at all knowing that fact.

"I am happy for you, Tezuka. We are all happy to see you like that. But you have to remember where you came from and what you are there for. You know exactly how things work in lower town, Tezuka. Business and jobs in lower town is one hell of a messy web. If we didn't get a job done, we won't know where the bullets aimed at our head will come from. The only thing we know from this assassination scenario is the target and my informant, in your case the informant of _your_ informant. We know nothing beyond that. We wouldn't know who's going to be after our heads should this mission doesn't end up as they demanded. You… no, _we_ need to be careful, Tezuka".

Tezuka was barely able to control his almost overflowed emotion. It all came at once, and it pound into his every being. Sadness, anger, disgust, disappointment, and guilt for endangering his friends' life… But most of all, he felt that strong pull of longing, towards the life he could never have just because of where he was born and what he did for living, towards the person he could never have from that obvious gap between them..

"I know I shouldn't be attached to him, Inui. I'm sorry that I put your life into danger," he said in a hoarse voice. Tezuka winced, was that him speaking? He couldn't even recognize his own voice. Then he frowned in confusion when he heard Inui chuckled.

"I didn't tell you to.. to lock up whatever feelings that you have for him, Tezuka. I've said that we were happy about how things going on now with you and him, haven't I?"

Tezuka's confusion grew, "But it made perfect sense, Inui. I should've considered about safety and the importance of getting the mission done before I.."

"I was just saying that we need to be careful. I didn't tell you that we wouldn't be able to handle the 'after-party' if you wish to not proceed with this mission. I think you, of all people, should have realized that we are not easy to be killed. Sacrificing our friend's happiness over a simple life threat is never an option, Tezuka-buchou".

Tezuka couldn't help but smiled softly at his friend's words. His friends were really his family, after all.

"Just tell us what you want to do, Tezuka. Then we'll see about staying alive".

Tezuka was awake for the rest of the night.

* * *

Atobe Keigo frowned slightly at the event unfold before his eyes.

"I will not eat anything. I told you I'm not hungry!"

Atobe sipped his earl grey tea to hide the annoyed twist of his lips. Eiji snorted beside him.

"Yes you will. I'm making sure that I won't have to carry you if you passed out from lack of energy".

"You're my bodyguard and not my personal care taker, thus you can't make me eat something I don't want!".

Eiji had to cover his mouth to prevent himself from laughing out loud as the two oblivious men glared at each other, Fuji with his hands on hips tried to look as menacingly as he could and Tezuka, weirdly enough, wearing a red apron and holding a plate of French toast.

Atobe sighed and rubbed his right temple. As amusing the situation is -he admit that it was not everyday that he got to see a bodyguard in a very motherly looking red apron holding a plate of breakfast for his acting-childish employer- he didn't appreciate the fact that his best friend for more than 10 years had been ignoring him since the moment he came through said best friend's apartment door that morning.

Atobe was away for more than 2 weeks, far longer than he had expected because the share holders of Atobe corp. had decided to pester him after he landed the contract Fuji asked. He spent those days with awful moods, not only because he had to miss too many parties, but also because his blue eyed childhood friend hadn't wrote much to him. He had sent almost 10 emails to check the photographers well being while he was away, and the said friend only answered to 4 of it, all with minimum replies like 'thanks Keigo' and 'all right, you take care'. He had spent those days on boredom and agony for the sake of his friend's baby brother and he came back only to have the said friend ignoring him for the new guy…erm, new bodyguard. He wouldn't even know what happened while he was away or who that Tezuka is had Eiji didn't fill him in with the whole story. He is tired and annoyed. And, ok, maybe a _little_ jealous of the expressionless, no fun and uptight bodyguard.

'This is unfair,' the diva thought inwardly. 'I went through all that trouble for him and this is how he treated me? I swear I'm going to kick that ass of him'.

But when the diva took a peek at Fuji and Tezuka's morning banter, he felt his anger never reached his limbs to be lashed at his blue eyed friend in the form of a kick. The said best friend was giving Tezuka his best kicked-puppy look, and Tezuka was doing his best to not letting his resolve down. Atobe scoffed. There was no sane person who could beat that kicked puppy look of Fuji Shuusuke. That was the petit brunette's ultimate weapon to get what he wanted.

Apparently, Tezuka was not as sane as he looked.

The tall brunette glared even more and firmly stood with his arms crossed on his chest, "Eat".

Fuji whimpered, Eiji looked like he was watching a sitcom show, and Atobe decided to stop all the madness.

"He doesn't have to do what he doesn't want to do, Mr. Bodyguard. Back off."

Tezuka's firm gaze shifted to the young businessman. The brunette looked like he wanted to say something, but he held his words and narrowed his eyes instead.

"If you're not strong enough to carry him when he passed out, I will." He put his arm around Fuji's shoulder and glared. Tezuka looked unfazed. He grabbed Fuji's hand and glared back at the diva, "It's better for him to not pass out at all".

Eiji gulped as the sitcom-like events turned into a drama. The red head laughed nervously and tried to lighten up the mood. "No need to get territorial, boys. Nya, Fujiko, I'll put the toast into this lunch-box. You should eat when you're hungry, okay?" Fuji beamed at him and broke free from the two men's arm and hand. "You're the best Eiji. I like your idea much better than shove a toast into my throat or let myself pass out".

* * *

Nicolas Derveaux eyed the paper in his hand with narrowed eyes. He didn't like what he saw written on that damn paper.

Fuji Tatsuya, that stubborn ass of the Fuji corp had rejected another offer from his company, just because he thought his son will handle things better than Derveaux's 'nameless company'.

His company wasn't nameless, dammit. It was just _new_ and surely it was way better to trust them than his homosexual whore of a son Fuji Tatsuya has. Oh yes, it was he who started all the rumors and gossips on Fuji's share holders and he even managed to threaten one of Fuji Shuusuke's ex-boyfriend to show the public who Fuji Shuusuke really was. All of them gave him all the reaction he wanted from the public and Fuji corp's employees and share holders, but unfortunately it only stayed as a 'moral-discussion' and never made them question Fuji Tatsuya and Fuji Shuusuke's abilities in business.

Derveaux was desperate. If he didn't get this one contract with Fuji corp, he won't reach the fame he needed to boost his newly formed company name since Fuji corp was the only company which big enough in his project range. Atobe corp might be another alternative, but the way they worked was way too eccentric for his company.

Derveaux let his eyes roamed the ceiling of his office in a contemplative, somewhat faraway look.

Fuji Tatsuya had humiliated him and his company, but Nicolas Derveaux always got what he want.

Well then, he just has to kick Fuji Shuusuke out of the picture.

* * *

"Just go, you fool!" Kamio's voice turned raspy and each breath he took made a strange wheezing sound. His blue haired sniper comrade shook his head frantically. "I'm not leaving you here." His hand shook as he tried his best to stop Kamio's blood gushing out from the hole on his shoulder. "Run, Shinji!" Kamio groaned. He knew he had lost too many blood he won't make it out alive, and the least he could do is make sure his friend get plenty of time to escape. "If you get caught they'll use you to get to Tachibana!" he whispered fervently. Shinji's face paled and he looked torn. He couldn't left Kamio there, but he knew that he shouldn't let whoever it was that had shot Kamio and hunt them down get to their team leader.

Kamio gave him another shove towards the back alley with all his might, "Go.."

Shinji balled his bloodied hand into a fist. "I'll be back with help." Kamio gave him a sad little smile and Shinji ran to the back alley. A loud sound of shot was heard, and Shinji was down, clutching his left right. He groaned in pain but he pushed himself up, his rushing adrenaline helped him to ignore the pain and continued his escape. Another shot and Shinji screamed. His right left was shot. The only way to get away is by crawling his way out.

A pair of leather boot clad legs stops his crawl and he felt the tip of a revolver in his temple.

"Where's he?" the man asked in an eerie calm voice. Shinji closed his eyes and tried to hear Kamio's movement behind him. He heard nothing, not even the heavy sound of his breath. It was too late to get help. "Who.. are you?"

"Where's Tachibana?" the man in the black coat asked for the second time. His voice might sounded calm, but his posture showed that he had lost his patience. Shinji stared at his friend's killer and spat with venom, "Go to hell".

"Wrong answer."

A cold smile was the last thing Shinji Ibu saw before he was shot between his eyes.

When the black coated man was no longer in sight, Momoshiro Takeshi got out from his hiding spot. Sweat trickled down his forehead and his feet felt heavy with a revelation. It was only for a second, but when the clouds cleared up a bit and the silvery glow of the moon had shown the killer's face.

He made his way to Kamio and checked his pulse. He let out a shaky breath. It was very faint but there was still a pulse. Kamio was alive.

"..Kamio?" he whispered softly, just in case the killer was still on a hearing range.

Slowly, Kamio opened his eyes. It was hazy with pain and Momoshiro cringed inwardly, knowing that he wont last long.

"..My informant.." he raised a shaky finger to where the killer went. Momoshiro's eyes widened and his blood ran cold. Kamio had just told him that it was his own informant who had hunted them down.

Kamio choked and went still. Momo bite his lips and stood. He had to tell his teammates.

Momoshiro fastened his pace, his heart raced and his chest hurt as if it had been squeezed with a strong hand. He wanted to turn back and do something, but he knew it was best for him to get away. His breath was heavy in fear, realizing that Inui probably didn't know their informant that good, which means they were in the same dangerous situation as Tachibana's team had. He had to tell Inui and make sure that they themselves are safe.

* * *

The number was not on his contact list, but Fuji Shuusuke was familiar with it.

His gaze flickered around the room, making sure Tezuka was not near enough to hear his upcoming conversation. Eiji and Atobe had gone home a few minutes prior. Eiji wasn't that hard to convinced to leave him alone since he already knew Tezuka for weeks, but Atobe had to be shoved out from his apartment. Literally.

He took a deep breath to prepare himself. He was dead scared and anxious but he knew he had to do it.

He pressed an answer button. "Oshitari?"

He heard a shuffling and clicking sound from the other side of the line, as if something was on the process of being unassembled and put into a box. 'A gun, maybe?'

"I didn't get to Tachibana.. but I managed to play further on the web. And the thing you plan is still on the move. Be ready, Fuji-san."

Fuji grasped the phone tighter. "I see. Bring down as much as you can."

They went silent for a split second before Oshitari voiced out his worry to his employer. "Fuji-san, are you sure this is the way you want things to happen? You make your way to the other hitmen, but won't you find out who's going to kill you?"

Fuji closed his eyes and smiled sadly. "I have my own agenda, Oshitari".

* * *

*insert suspense music here*

Things are start to unveil! Uh oh…

Okay. just so I wont confuse anyone, this is what happened so far in the story:

Echizen was greatly curious about Fuji Shuusuke's past. And when Echizen is curious, he'll do anything to find out ;)

Oishi and Inui were worried about Tezuka. They knew that Tezuka was getting attached to Fuji and wont be able to finish his mission, which is killing Fuji.

Something was happening in the lower town! Kamio and Shinji were killed by their own informant and the killer was trying to kill Tachibana (Kamio and Shinji's team leader) and the killer was on his move to kill even more assassins in the lower town.

[Here is how things work in lower town: someone gave a mission to an agent from the lower town, who will pass down the mission to the informant, and more informant, and more informant.. until a team decided to take the job. it was highly possible that an informant doesn't really know who the informant before them is, just like Inui didn't know exactly who gave him the job to assassinate Fuji. This is why it was dangerous for their team if they failed on the mission, because someone might hunted the team down to kept the mission secrecy]

And Momo had seen the assassins' killer! He didn't know who he was, but he knew how his face looked like. Can you guess who was it, though? ;)

And Fuji was not as harmless as we all thought! The photographer had his own agenda in the lower town's web of assassinations job. Fuji was the one who sent the killer to hunt down the lower town's assassins.. the reason will be cleared in the later chapters.

Sooo,, was the twist enough to make you stick around? I really really hope so X)!

Leave a review and show me that you're out there, people :)


	9. The Bitter Sweet Plan

**Disclaimer** : me no ownie huhuuuuuu X'(

**warning :** Another character death... I'm sorry...

oh well, another chapter. thx for those who bear with my muse and stick around. You guys rocks XD!

enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**The Bitter Sweet Plan**

Nicolas Derveaux tried to stop his feet from making any impatient or impolite sounds as he and his secretary had to wait another 15 minutes to get inside Fuji Tatsuya's office and have a talk with the powerful businessman. He had been waiting for half an hour already, and he was pissed. It was humiliation for him, coming on time to their meeting only to be shoved aside for one Fuji Shuusuke who had come without any appointment, and not even with appropriate clothes for working.

The image of Fuji Shuusuke in his low rider jeans, t-shirt, and a simple cut blazer making his way into his father's office flashed in his mind, and Derveaux couldn't stop himself from smirking lecherously. He wasn't really interested in men before, but the heir of Fuji corp is one hell of a fine specimen, and he couldn't help but lusting after the blue eyed beauty. He wondered how good it feels to be inside that hot, pliant body, and watch that little beauty squirm and writhing beneath him..

A clicking sound of a door being opened snapped him from his careless daydream, and he gulped as once again, the object of his desire walked out from Fuji Tatsuya's office with his gaze firm and straight, walking in confidence without even sparring him a glance when he even bothered to stand up and bow for the young heir.

Derveaux felt his blood boiled from both anger and desire. It took a lot of self restrain to not run after the brunette and just grabbed him and fucked him rough.

When Hayama, the secretary, finally took him inside the spacious office, he was already half hard from no more than 10 seconds view of Fuji Shuusuke.

"Now that you have to take another precious time of mine, you should stop daydreaming and make it quick".

Derveaux flashed his fake smile to hide his disgust to the man in front of him. "Pardon my behavior, Mr. Fuji. I just couldn't stop admiring the design of your office, even after all my visits these times". The middle aged businessman sneered and Derveaux felt another wave of anger swept his entire being. "You should be. My son designed the concept of our main office and the important parts of our most important projects. By now you should've understand how reliable my son is, not only in the matter of business, but also in the matter of creativity and production, Derveaux. There's nothing more you could do to convince me to use your company's designs".

He tried his best to remain calm as his secretary fidgeted beside him from the uncomfortable atmosphere. "Of course, Mr. Fuji. But I'm sure as a good businessman you perfectly know that creativity to design is not the only trait that is needed to build a success of such a big company like yours. There are also experience and professionalism, which I'm sure your son is in the middle of pursuing it right now, while our company which already mastered all that traits, could help yours to expand your business as well as letting your son learns from us".

A mocking laugh resonated in the spacious office, "Experience? He's got better than your experience. My son has the concept and he had known our company's every bright and dim spots, in and out, even since he was merely a teenager. Your company was nothing compared to that quality of his. There's nothing more you can offer, Derveaux". Fuji Tatsuya also admired how easy he can control his son while an outsider like Derveaux will only bring harm to his power , but he wasn't going to say it to Derveaux.

Derveaux left Fuji Corp main office that noon with anger on his steps. He had promised himself that it would be his final attempt on convincing the company. If Fuji Tatsuya still rejects his offer, he will not hesitate to make the man learn how to live without his precious son. As he closed his car's door and scowl at his driver for making him wait too long at the foyer, he fervently pressed the dial button on his phone.

"It's me. I want you to get Fuji Shuusuke. Any method is fine; just make sure he's alive and don't drag my name. Let him stay conscious, we need to have some words with him, regarding his company's most important secrets. Yes, you may have some fun with the boy… but save his tight ass for me. I'm going to have my own way with him once I get a hold of him".

Derveaux felt his heart pumped loudly in excitement. He couldn't wait to have his way with Fuji Shuusuke.

It's only too bad that he will have to kill him after he had fun with him.

* * *

"Who's that man?" Tezuka asked as soon as they were out of the main office building. Fuji fished out the car key from his blazer's pocket, eyeing him confusedly, "Which man?". "The one sitting outside your father's office, on the leather couch. He was wearing a grey suit". Fuji shrugged and gave Tezuka the key, "You drive. He's Nicolas Derveaux, the owner of 'Mirage Studio', a new design firm. He had been trying to convince my father to let his company handle the design of the new project". Tezuka opened the door for him, and the petit brunette got in swiftly, "Not a chance. The new project was a big one. Father is not a trusting person. He'll trust every important part of the project to those whom he knew and can control well. An outsider like him, without a lot of successful records, won't be spared a glance".

Tezuka stayed quiet, but Fuji saw a strange flash in those brown eyes behind his glasses. "Is there something wrong Tezuka?" Tezuka mumbled something, and Fuji frowned, "..Pardon?"

"I said, he was leering at you. Looking at you up and down like he was going to eat you".

Fuji almost burst out laughing. 'Is that why Tezuka giving the man a scary face earlier?' he thought amusedly. "Doesn't mean he will, Tezuka. He's not even gay". Tezuka gave an impatient huff. Apparently Fuji Shuusuke hasn't completely understood the effect he gave on the people around him, straight or not. "Well, he's giving you some strange glances. Consider him dangerous, and don't go near him without me around. I've got a bad feeling about him".

Fuji hid his smile behind his hand, and they rode home in a comfortable silence.

* * *

The atmosphere between Fuji and Tezuka, Eiji thought that night while having dinner with the two, has definitely changed. The red head tried to pin point what exactly had changed between them, but he ended up confusing himself instead. He was sure whatever it was that had changed, it was pretty delicate that he couldn't really tell, because despite his slightly childish attitude Kikumaru Eiji was pretty observant about things around him, especially about his closest friends relationships and behavior.

"Tezuka, take my tomatoes".

"Eat it. It's good for health".

"But you know I hate tomatoes.. Really Tezuka, talking about health like that, you sound like an old man".

"Don't complain. If I eat your tomatoes, you'll have to eat the rest of the vegetables".

Eiji narrowed his eyes slightly when Fuji casually emptied his plate from the tomatoes and move them to Tezuka's plate, then pouted but said nothing when Tezuka poured the rest of the vegetables on the pan to Fuji's plate. They acted too familiar with each other to have a mere employment relationship, and Eiji couldn't help but felt curious about how they act with each other when there was no one around them, since they act almost like a married couple even with Eiji's presence.

"Eiji, it's late already. Do you need me to take you home? I think it's going to be hard to find a taxi at this hour.." Fuji asked with apologetic tone and Eiji almost grinned from his exceptionally good luck. "Neh, Fujiko… actually.. do you mind if I spend a night here? I'm dead tired from work, nya… and you know how much I hate being alone when I'm tired and miserable.. and being with you is always a lot of fun and your apartment is soooo cozy…" Eiji saw Tezuka massaged his forehead from the corner of his eyes and widened his smile, doing his best to convince his best friend to let him stay.

Fuji chuckled in mild amusement, "You know that you're always welcome in my apartment, Eiji. But since Tezuka's sleeping in the guest bedroom, you have to share a bed with me in my room. Is that okay with you?" Eiji grinned and gave his best friend a thumb up. "No problem! Come on, I'll help you clean, Fujiko!"

Later that night, Eiji gave his best friend a sloppy good night kiss on the cheek and came into the master's bedroom. But as soon as he came in, Eiji sneakily let the door opened a little, giving him a clear view of the living room where Fuji sat on his favorite couch and looking at the night view of the town through his floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Tezuka was taking a shower and Eiji knew that he will be finish soon. Therefore, the red head would be able to have a peek on how the two interact without him around to pester their 'quality time' together.

When Tezuka got out of the bathroom, wearing a grey sweat pants and a loose t shirt, looking freshly out of shower, Eiji had to stop himself from jumping around in excitement. Oh, he was curious, very curious.

"You aren't going to sleep?" A deep voice broke Fuji's musings. Fuji glanced to the taller brunette and smiled when he caught the fresh scent of Tezuka's soap. "I'm not feeling sleepy yet. You smell good.. What scent is it? Orange?" Behind the door of Fuji's bedroom, Eiji grinned widely, 'those two are really having a newly wed's kind of conversation! Oooh, I wish I could show this to Atobe! He'll definitely be rolling around in jealousy if he saw them!'

"You can use it if you want". Fuji shook his head slowly, "No.. I don't think it will smell as good if I'm the one who use it". Tezuka's lips twitched in something that suspiciously looked like a tiny smile, "You always smell good yourself". Fuji gave his bodyguard a small laugh, "Really? You've been secretly smelling my soap too?" It was Tezuka's turn to shake head, "It wasn't your soap".

Tezuka gave Fuji a rather appreciative gaze which made the young photographer blushed, and suddenly Eiji had an urge to install a bunch of secret cameras all over his best friend's apartment to spy on them. 'Really,' he thought, 'If those two have this kind of atmosphere in a 2 months old working relationship, how will they act if they are in a 2 years old romantic relationship? Screwing around like bunnies?'

* * *

The way human feelings effect one's body function, Tezuka mused, is beyond logic.

Just like the way his heart beat escalated beyond control when all he did is sat beside one Fuji Shuusuke, a fairly awkward silence stretched between them. He had tried to convince himself to stay calm, because all they did was sitting side by side with not even a word exchanged between them, but his body felt so hot and bothered and restless and his heart pounded so loud he was afraid that the beautiful blue eyed man beside him could hear it..

And damn it, even he could no longer control the movement of his eyes since it kept straying back to the petite brunette, and judging by the oh-so-cute blush on the said man's cheek, he must've been staring a lot. He cleared his throat awkwardly and forced his legs to move and let him stand up. "Maybe we should sleep. It's late."

He stood up and made his way to his room when a grip at the hem of his shirt stopped him from moving forward. His heart thumped so hard he was afraid it was going to pop out of his chest, and slowly, slowly he turned around and faced a very nervous looking Fuji. "What's wrong?" Fuck, he didn't even sound like himself, not when the object of his desire, and damn it, maybe even _affection_, looking all lost and not knowing what to say gripping the hem of his shirt with his trembling hand.

"Erm, Tezuka, can we just sit a little longer… I mean, not that you have too if you're too tired. I mean, I just can't sleep yet and I figured.."

Tezuka knew he was losing it. He couldn't even control his own breathing when Fuji stood so close to him. The tall brunette could even see a peek of the smooth, pale skin of his collar bone from his loose sleeping shirt, his honey brown strands framing his blushing face begging to be tucked behind two delicate ears.

The photographer was sinfully beautiful.

"Tezuka?"

He was too close and Tezuka could even catch a glimpse of his vanilla like scent. It drew him near and at the same time drove him mad from need and the urge to feel the beautiful, almost ethereal being before him, just to make sure if he was real and solid and wouldn't wither away once he touch him.

He was too close and Tezuka, and all those years spent on controlling his temper and saying 'don't let your guard down', couldn't stop himself from caressing the blue eyed man's soft cheek, down along his jaw line to his rosy soft lips..

And touched it with his own.

Had it been seconds? Minutes? He didn't even know how much time had passed as they simply stood there, Tezuka bends slightly with one of his hands gently tilted Fuji's face upwards to brushed his lips against Fuji's, the petite brunette staring wide eyed from surprise until finally his eyelids slowly fluttered close and he kissed back just as hesitantly.

And finally, _finally_, Tezuka found home.

* * *

"Fuji-san."

Fuji whipped his head to his side and breathed in relief when he saw Oshitari stood there, looking so calm and confident and if one knew him as well as Fuji did dangerous, because he knew that the blue haired man never went anywhere without a gun tucked somewhere beneath his stylish dark coat.

Fuji saw Tezuka immediately moved towards them in alert from the corner of his eyes, and the on-shoot photographer he was working when suddenly Oshitari came out of nowhere raised his hand to tell his bodyguard that he was in no threat. Tezuka stopped, but Fuji knew that the tall brunette would be watching them with suspicion in his eyes, so Fuji gave his guest his best friendly smile and tapped his shoulder in a friendly manner while signaling his blue eyed employee with his eyes that Tezuka was watching them. Oshitari caught up quickly and played along, also giving him his radiant smile and said in a loud, cheery voice, "Hey! Haven't seen you in ages!"

Both of them then sat on a bench with their backs to Fuji's highly alert bodyguard with a, hopefully, unsuspicious way. They tried to keep their manner relaxed and their voice stay low to disguise the actual content of their upcoming conversation from the unwanted ears. Fuji was scared himself, and he was worried that he wouldn't be able to handle it if they started talking about _it_ and got another mental break down, but this talk needs to be done. So the uncomfortable brunette took a deep breath and steeled himself, and hoping his voice won't waver he said, "How are things going?"

"Tachibana's dead. One single shot on the head. But he wasn't the one who killed your mother" Oshitari calmly said. Fuji frowned and reminded himself to keep his posture relaxed, "Why do you sound so sure? We both know how tightlipped those assassins are about their missions". Oshitari lit his cigarette and did a deep suck before he answered, "Let's just say that I have my own way interrogating those people," Fuji shuddered at the image, and seeing his reaction, Oshitari snorted in amusement. "What? You were the one who paid me to infiltrate the underground hitmen employment to kill those who had been doing missions since more than 12 years ago.. just to wipe clean anyone that had anything to do with your mother's death, and yet you still got scared only from hearing it. I can't understand your naivety, Fuji-san."

Fuji chuckled bitterly and slowly shook his head, "I might be naïve sometimes, but my hands aren't as clean as the other's thought. I never pulled the trigger myself, but believe me when I said that you are not the first person I pay to do my dirty works". Oshitari gazed at the man beside him while taking another savory sip on his cigar and wondered how the hell such a delicate, originally soft hearted being beside him made himself caught on the merciless bloodshed on the lower town. 'Revenge and hatred made people do the worst things,' the blunette thought somberly.

"Is it only about the past, though? These things you schemed, are they only meant to pay off what's done on your past?"

Fuji gave his employee an intense calculating look, as if he wondered if he could trust Oshitari with another glimpse of his plan. Finally, decided that Oshitari had no reason to betray him, Fuji gave him another piece of his 'future agenda'.

"They are mostly about my mother's death 11 years ago. But you were right, it wasn't the only reason," Fuji took a deep breath and sat back, hands fingering his camera with a faraway look on his blue eyes. "I don't plan on living much longer, Oshitari."

Oshitari's eyes widened in surprise, "Wh..What?"

"You know that someone's after my head don't you?" Oshitari nodded beside him and Fuji took another deep breath before he continued. "I have no desire to avoid the assassination plan. I'm on my way to make sure that the people I care about are going to get all the benefits once I'm dead. I've been making my way on my father's company to make sure my brother will get the best position when I'm gone. And I've prepared all of my properties to be given to my sister if anything happens. The rest of my share on the other company beside my father's… They'll be my best friends'. Atobe will be able to expand his business and Eiji will get the money he needs to open his own patisserie…And hiring a bodyguard was not for the sake of being saved for me. My best friends will notice immediately if I'm in danger and having a personal guard will ease their worry." Oshitari shook his head on disbelief, but Fuji only gave him a tender, somewhat sad smile. "They're the only ones that matters to me in this world. They'll be sad and mourn for a while when I'm gone, but they're strong enough to move on without me."

Both men stay quiet for a moment, and the silence hung around them like a thick, wet blanket. Oshitari glanced behind them to his employer's bodyguard, and suddenly something else struck him.

"How about him, then?"

Fuji gave him a puzzled look, "Him?"

Oshitari gave a pointing motion to Tezuka with the flick of his eyes, and frown of puzzlement deepened. "He's your lover, isn't he?" Fuji gave him a bewildered look and Oshitari couldn't help but chuckled in amusement. "It's okay. I can read between the looks, you know. This stare he gives us, ..well, mostly me, it is not only alerted stare. There's jealousy, though masked quite nicely, in his stare and his stance."

A faint hue of red marred Fuji's pale cheek, and the brunette stole a quick glance towards his personal bodyguard. The red on his cheeks deepened when he saw Tezuka's stiff stance and tightened jaw. The bodyguard's eyes are locked to his blue haired companion in a very intense calculating look.

"He's not my lover."

Oshitari snorted, "Well. Judging by the look on your face, not _yet_. What about him, though? Will you just pass on your chance to be happy with him for your suicidal plan?"

The blush left the young photographer's face as he closed his eyes and remembered.

_The warmth that night when Tezuka held him as he slept, his strong arms wrapped gently around him to chase the coldness and his shadows away.._

_The safe feeling that spread around every fiber of his body when Tezuka kissed him softly on his forehead.._

Tezuka shrugged calmly, "Improvisation".

_The light headed feeling he got when the orange-ish scent of Tezuka's soft invaded all of his senses and the heat that envelope his being from the stoic's soft kiss.._

Fuji felt his eyes behind his eyelids burned from the unshed tears.

'Happiness is only an arm reach away..'

"He deserves better, Oshitari".

* * *

Fuji eyed the brown haired man beside him carefully. Tezuka was driving and he kept his gaze on the road, but by the stiffness of the tall brunette's shoulder, he could tell that Tezuka was somewhat pissed when he had kept the stoic man away from his conversation with Oshitari.

He really wanted to run his fingers through those messy brown tresses and tell him that there was nothing between him and Oshitari, that the only romance related thing he had on his head at that very moment were about Tezuka. He wanted to asked him if he could just touch his hand which was gripping the steering wheel in an overly sturdy grip, if he could just trace those strong jaw line with his fingertip and kiss him once again like the previous night before they stuttered and awkwardly, hastily said goodnight and had a restless night in their respective bedrooms.

But the petite brunette balled his eager, trembling hands into a painful fist.

He couldn't let himself do it. Not when he killed people out there with the same hands. He might kept his hands away from their blood, but he was the one who had set the stage to kill them. In a way, he was no better than those assassins he killed.

He knew that Tezuka may have shot someone. Hell, he may have had to kill someone before, but Fuji also knew that Tezuka is not a bad person. Sometimes he caught the same flash of pain and exhaust in those eyes like the one he saw in his own, and he knew, he _wanted_ Tezuka to have a happier and brighter life.

The handsome older man won't be happy with someone like him.

Tezuka deserves someone better, someone who can show him the joy and the bright sides of life. Someone who can make him laugh and utterly, giddily, helplessly in love and happy.

The loud screech of the car's break broke his musings.

"Tezuka? What's wrong?" He frowned when he saw Tezuka narrowed his eyes, his body stiff and fully alert. Then Tezuka started to move the car backwards, and Fuji's veins grew cold in fear when his eyes assessed their surrounding and he suddenly understood the situation they were in.

Two black vans were blocking the road before them. 6 men with guns on their hands were coming out from the two cars, obviously aiming Fuji's range rover since there were no other cars around.

"Fuji, lay down on the back seat. We're out numbered, and we have to get away from here".

Fuji gulped loudly. His head spun madly, but he followed Tezuka's instruction without another word.

'Is this the time already?' he thought. His previous conversation with Oshitari about his death will was played so vividly in his mind. 'Is this the end?'

The car stopped, and Fuji saw through the back window that there was another black van blocking the road before them. The blue eyed man took a final intense look to his bodyguard, his mouth tasted the salty taste of his tears. The young photographer held back his sobs and steeled his resolve.

'I have to do this..'

With a trembling hand, he gripped Tezuka's stiff shoulder.

"Stop the car, Tezuka".

Tezuka looked at him in a panicked confusion.

"I'm sorry… but I want you to get away safely from here. Break the news gently to Keigo and Eiji, okay?" Fuji opened the passenger's door which closest to him and ignored Tezuka's raged scream, "FUJI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

'I'm sorry Tezuka… I'm really sorry…' he chanted as he made his way as fast as he can towards the armed men. He could hear Tezuka followed closely behind him, trying to stop him from his suicidal act. Then a loud sound of a bullet being shot caught his ears, and he closed his eyes to welcome the pain.

… But the loud groan of pain didn't come out from his mouth.

Fuji looked back to Tezuka with fear in his eyes, and to his utmost horror, he saw Tezuka clutched his left shoulder in pain.

"Noooo! Tezuka!"

Then there was pain in the back of his head.

'Tezuka…'

And the world turns black.

'Tezuka… I'm sorry…'

* * *

And it's a cliff hanger.

Because I'm evil like that, muahaha XD

Review, please!

Cause when you give this muse bunnies of mine review, they started to dance around to welcome the rain of muse for the next chapter

*me goes to the fantasyland*

ps: my biggest, deepest apology for fudomine's fans out there X( trust me, I chose them to be the victim out of my muse and not because i hate them.


	10. The Lost and Found

**Disclaimer : **I only own the bad guys in this story *sigh*

**Warning! Violence ahead!**

**

* * *

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**Chapter 10**

**The Lost and Found**

The tiny apartment was a big mess. It was packed full since Inui and Oishi had been a free loader on the said apartment for almost 2 weeks already and Oishi had temporarily closed the coffee shop because he spent too many times with the group anyway. The raven haired barista didn't mind leaving the shop given that he was never really made his living from the shop, at least not financially. To be honest, he could live in leisure for months and still won't be short on money. His successful missions with Tezuka from years ago were enough to make some savings, and Oishi opened the shop only to pay some respect to Tezuka's parents (since the coffee shop was originally theirs) and doing his hobby as a barista.

And Inui was just being Inui. He wouldn't be calm if he went back to his own apartment since he wouldn't want to miss any news from Tezuka and Echizen, about Fuji and the said target's mother.

Echizen rubbed his tired eyes. He was frustrated and annoyed at the situation before his eyes. The noise coming from the living room was bothering him too much and he couldn't even sleep with his questions regarding Fuji Yoshiko's murder nagging his mind and Momo's bickering about something with Inui. He couldn't really understand their conversation as he didn't really pay attention before, but the words 'rogue informant' and 'missing seniors' piqued his curiosity.

With a heavy sighed, the 23 years old hacker rose from his bed and opened the door to the living room.

"But Tachibana's dead! And how about the other seniors? Given the situation now, we can be in danger as well!" Momo said heatedly and Echizen had to squint from hearing his voice boomed in the small space. Inui didn't look fazed, though. "There's too many possibility. Tachibana's team could've been dealing with a dangerous mission. And so were the other seniors. It could've been a failed mission, or the other kind of situation that didn't even concern us. We have been playing safe until today, Momo. There's no reason for anyone to hunt us down."

"What about the cops? What if the upper town cops has something to do with… with this situation?" Inui shook his head and gave a small laugh. "Easy, kiddo. You know how dumb the cops are. We're relatively safe now. I know my informant really well. We've been using a fairly secure network so there's nothing to worry for now. Furthermore, based on what you've said, the missing persons were all seniors, even Tachibana. They had played in this business far longer than us, so even if there's a big case going on in this lower town, the most likely to go down are those seniors. Compared to the other team out there, we're a bunch of newbies. We're basically junior in this business."

Momoshiro sighed heavily before he snatched a cold beer on the table and sat down, running his fingers through his hair. "All right… I…I'm sorry I freaked out. It's just not that easy seeing them… the other team like us.. being wiped out single handedly like that." Inui said nothing, and Echizen decided to put his two cents on the matter. "The old lab bug is right, Takeshi," Inui threw him an empty can of beer which Echizen dodged easily, "We've got nothing to worry for now. Even if there is, our team is smart enough to detect danger before it comes to us. You know that, don't you?"

The spiky haired sniper was about to say something when Inui's phone rang.

Inui frowned at the screen before he picked up the call. "Tezuka?"

* * *

His whole body hummed with his adrenaline taking over his senses and made his heart raced like it never did before. He was lucky enough that the bullet only nicked his shoulder and his body reflexes helped him dodged the other ones that were aimed at him, but he despised the fact that he couldn't protect his charge.

And he also despised the fact that he needed another's help to get away from the kidnappers.

"Who are you?" Tezuka hissed as he gritted his teeth to held the sting on his left shoulder and let his fingers rummaged through the first aid box on his lap. The man beside him shrugged, eerily calm even when he drove the wrecked range rover like a man possessed by demon. "Well, it's a frequently asked question. But for you let's just say that I'm Fuji-san's old friend. How's your shoulder?" Tezuka narrowed his eyes while he tried to stop the bleeding on his shoulder with a bandage, eyeing the blue haired man beside him.

"Why should I trust you?" the blunette laughed softly despite the obvious hostility in Tezuka's tone. "I can't trust you with Fuji-san's life either, can I? Say, is Tezuka Kunimitsu even your real name?" Tezuka's eyes widened. "Nice job with the false documents in the citizenship database, by the way. You almost got me there. It's a really neat and detailed work, very typical of the lower town's professionals."

Tezuka didn't know what to expect anymore from the man beside him, so he wordlessly throw the first aid box to the back seat and started to work with his gun instead. He heard Oshitari snorted while he maneuvered the car to dodge another bullet shot from the black van in front of them. "Tch, amateurs. They can't even shoot right." The three vans then took a sharp turn to the right and went into different directions, and Oshitari swore loudly. "Fuck! They dispersed! What now?"

"Take turn on the 3rd street. I've called my base."

Tezuka knew he risked a lot by taking Oshitari to his friends, but at the moment he had no other choice. The man had saved his life once when he showed up out of nowhere right on the middle of Tezuka's gun firing session's with the kidnappers, firing his own gun to one of them who intended to shot Tezuka from the back. The said kidnapper was shot between his eyes, a frightening accuracy given the situation they were in.

But two against eight was quite an impossible task, and they held no chance to take back an unconscious Fuji from their clutch.

The meeting point of Tezuka and his teammates was an abandoned warehouse with a half ruined roof. But the warehouse was a perfect spot since it was located in the heart of upper town and very often overlooked by the passer bys. By the time the two bespectacled men reach the meeting point it was still empty, no sign of anyone yet.

"Tezuka-san," Oshitari's voice echoed loudly in the empty warehouse and Tezuka faced the man with his gun cocked and ready. Oshitari smirked and put both of his arms in the air. "It's true that you don't have any reason to trust me, but I really have no intention of sitting around and doing nothing when Fuji-san is in danger. And given the situation, you are the most capable person who can safe him. I'm not asking you trust me, but I offer you my assistance. It's up to you whether you're going accept it or not."

"Why?"

Oshitari's smirk turned into a wistful smile. "I'm one of Fuji-san's many admirers."

Tezuka arched his brows and Oshitari chuckled. "Speaking of, the other one… or two, will probably be in a frantic search of him if we don't give them words of reassurance." Tezuka's mind quickly shift to Eiji and Atobe.. and Fuji's words before he was taken.

"_I'm sorry… but I want you to get away safely from here. Break the news gently to Keigo and Eiji, okay?" _

Tezuka frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

He was about to tell Oshitari when he realized the blue haired man was calling someone with his phone. Tezuka was alerted instantly, but he almost dropped his gun in surprise when he knew who Oshitari was called.

"Kikumaru Eiji-san? This is Inspector Yamashita from the metro police department. I need to inform you that your friend, Fuji Shuusuke was kidnapped this afternoon. Right now, with Tezuka Kunimitsu's assistance we are handling this situation, and we need you to stay calm and guarded. Stay in the crowd with the people you know and do not say anything about this situation, because we suspect that you might be in an immediate danger if you don't do so. Yes, you don't have to worry. We have everything under control. You just have to do as I told you. No, don't make any phone call, not even to the other police officer. We are under suspicion of an officer's involvement in this kidnapping. Yes. Thank you, we're expecting your full cooperation, Kikumaru-san. Good afternoon."

Oshitari did the same with Atobe, and Tezuka had to admit the man's quick wit. It was a very tactful action to avoid police's involvement and it kept Eiji and Atobe's safe at the same time.

Then footsteps resonated in the room and Tezuka heard Momoshiro frantically shouted his name before a bullet released and struck Oshitari on the chest.

"Get away from him, buchou!" Momoshiro ran towards him with his gun ready and pointed at the spectacled man who was clutching his chest on the floor. Inui and Echizen did the same with confusion on their faces. "Inui sempai, it was that fucking bastard who killed Tachibana!"

* * *

"He isn't waking up." A slap on his cheek.

"Do you think we struck him too hard? Oh wow, this guy's really pretty for a guy."

"Nah. He should be awake soon. Yeah, pretty, isn't he?" A caress on his bare chest.

"Playing with him should be fun when he's awake."

Fuji was awake, but he kept his eyes closed. He was dead scared and cold. The back of his head throbbed and slowly he remembered of it being struck with a blunt object before he blacked out. He shuddered when he felt rough hands caressing his skin, and his blood grew cold as he realized that the coldness he felt was because he was lying naked on a cemented ground. He prayed silently for his body, his senses to stop feeling, to stop hearing the heavy breathing of the men who were touching him, to stop feeding him with unwanted information of what happened around him despite his closed eyes.

His eyes burned from tears, and inwardly he screamed in agony. He didn't want to cry in front of these bastards. He won't give them that liberty, because Fuji Shuusuke didn't cry in front of anyone he didn't trust. He prayed for them to stop staining his body with their disgusting touches and just, please, _please_ kill him already.

A hand kneaded his bottom and slipped a finger between its cheeks, and Fuji bite his tongue, hard, to refrain from screaming in disgust. "Hey, not there you idiot. Do you want Boss to kill you?" a hoarse voice said and the finger's intrusion stopped. The petite blond almost sighed in relief when another hand caressed his inner tight, moving towards another part of him he wanted to kept away from the despised touches. "You know that he specifically asked to keep away from his ass, no matter how tempting it is. Well, he didn't say anything about this part, though" the hand then stroke his length, and Fuji wanted so badly to cringe away.

Mocking laughs boomed and Fuji's heart raced in panic. There were so many of them; and with keeping his eyes closed he was emphasizing his other senses, his ears dreadfully recognizing the sound of laughter and footsteps coming closer. Then more hands joined the ones in his body. It was utterly repulsive and the only thing Fuji could do was to bite his tongue harder, the coppery taste of blood in his mouth.

"We need to wake him up before Boss come. He said he wanted to choke out some important company secrets from him."

Fuji's mind reeled in confusion. Company secrets? Weren't these people only paid to kill him?

Then a familiar voice told the men to step back and Fuji's whole body froze in fear as he realized that these men weren't the ones from the lower town whom he had expected to kill him.

He had thrown himself into the wrong hands.

* * *

Momoshiro glared at him, and he scowled, still clutching his bruised chest. "It was my most expensive coat, you know? Now what should I do with the hole you made with your gun, hm? Agh, damn. Even Fuji-san said I look good on it."

He might look almost nonchalant about the whole thing, but inwardly, Oshitari thanked his good luck that he had worn his bullet-proof vest under his coat. The coat was expensive, yes, but he valued his life more, thank you.

"He isn't targeting us, Takeshi. Stop glaring and help me here." Echizen huffed as he set his laptop on a wooden table. "Don't be so sure, Ryoma. People like him are not to be trusted." Oshitari rolled his eyes at the remark. "I told you, I'm not targeting newbies like you guys. Gee, what a thick head." Tezuka cleared his throat and gave the two men his 'no-nonsense' glare, effectively stilling them.

"Buchou, did you say they dispersed here?" Echizen pointed a forked street on the map, and Tezuka nodded stiffly. "Yes. We lost them after that." Echizen frowned and Oishi sighed heavily. "Smart move. It will take us a lot of time to find their possible position now." Inui muttered darkly. Tezuka glanced at Echizen's laptop screen, and something clicked in his head. "Oshitari, were there any traffic cameras?" the blue eyed man's gaze met his and Oshitari smirked. "Yep. There were plenty of them."

Echizen's fingers moved swiftly on the keyboard, accessing the supposedly public-restricted traffic camera via a hijacked metro police department's computer line. "But which van? They use black tinted glass. I can't see which one has Fuji." Inui and Oshitari, to Momo's dismay, scooted closer to Echizen to see the screen.

"Try to zoom in the wheel," Oshitari suddenly said, pointing his finger to the screen. "I remember that they put most of their men on Fuji-san's van." Echizen zoomed the camera in, letting Inui estimating the one van which had the most weight between the three. "It's the second van!" Inui exclaimed, and Echizen didn't waste more time to focus their chase on that particular van.

Tezuka's head throbbed in frustration. They were still having problems with locating while Fuji was somewhere out there, in only-God-knows-what kind of condition. Tezuka inwardly cursed the bastards that had taken the brunette away, right before his eyes.

'If they even try to lay a finger on him.. I swear I'm going to kill them.'

Oishi eyed the tall brunette beside him critically. The raven haired man softly patted his best friend's uninjured shoulder. "We'll get him back, Tezuka. I'm sure." Tezuka nodded and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Is your shoulder okay? Do the stitches still hurt?" Tezuka eyed his bandaged left shoulder, silently remembering the pain when Oishi had to stitch his wound with zero anesthetic few minutes earlier, and inwardly cursed the kidnappers some more. "It's okay. I've taken worse before, remember?" Oishi chuckled at Tezuka's unusually sour expression and the evident worry on the brunette's eyes.

"He cracks your mask so easily… Tezuka, you like him a lot, huh?"

Tezuka wanted to say no. He wanted to shout to the world that, NO, the Tezuka Kunimitsu who had vowed to hate the upper town's people with all his heart 10 years ago had not stained that vow with his indisputable attraction to one Fuji Shuusuke. He wanted to say that, NO, one of the upper town's spoiled princes had not just broken down his emotional barrier of hate and vengeance and stirred this kind of confusion, this kind of desire and _need_ to protect inside him.

But how could he say those denials when his whole body practically hummed from worry, his mind kept drifting away from its usual level-headedness to one particular person, the very same person he had tried to push away? How could he deny the fact that his heart was squeezed painfully from the need to hold that person, to make sure that that person is okay, to keep that person close and never let go again?

Tezuka closed his eyes and remembered.

The soft honey brown strands, the warmth of his body when he held him close as he slept. The twinkle in his blue eyes as he laughed, the tilt of his head when he was curious about something. The feeling of lips against lips, his scent filling his lungs with its agonizing sweetness.

He couldn't say no.

"Buchou! We found him!"

* * *

Derveaux took him dry, again, and he bit his torn bottom lip to stifle his scream of pain.

It hurt. It hurt like hell, but he won't plead. He had managed to stay quiet when the man tortured him to make him spill the things he knew about the company and he certainly would stay quiet, no matter what these men tried to do to him. He didn't have any strength left, but he could stay quiet. He had to. If he's going to die in pain and stained by this man's filthy desire, the least he could do is to keep his pride intact.

"You are sinfully beautiful, do you know that?" Derveaux whispered in his ear, his breathing tickled his ear and Fuji gritted his teeth in disgust. Then the man moved inside him, and Fuji had to shut his eyes, his whole body tensed to fight the pain. The men's clutches on his hands and legs were too firm, but he wouldn't stop trying to break free. He refused to stop trying for it means that he surrendered to the other's power.

It was pure agony for the young Fuji heir.

He wanted to die to stop the pain, but at the same time he wanted to stay alive to fight and lashed the burning anger inside him. His whole senses screamed from the revolting feeling of the man on top of him pushing in and pulling out only to forcefully pushing deeper inside him, but at the same time they were numb from the unwelcomed feeling.

Blood and sweat and other liquid trickled down his thighs into the floor, and Fuji felt so dirty he wanted to tear open and crawl out of his own skin. The cemented floor felt cold beneath him, but his eyes was hotly burned from his angry tears. It was funny, he thought, how he valued his life the most at times like this. He never felt really thankful of how gentle Eiji's hugs felt, no matter how tight he locked him inside his bear-hug. He never knew how gentle Keigo's caresses on his wet cheeks everytime he cried on his warm, welcoming arms. And then there was Tezuka.

God, Tezuka… Tezuka and the gentleness he felt even without the stoic man touching him. It was in his eyes and the simple things he did, like the way he told him to 'eat the tomatoes, it's good for your health'.

How could he stand this kind of severity when he knew such kinds of tenderness in his life?

'Tezuka…'

A sob accidentally escaped his lips and the men above him sneered in haughtiness.

'Tezuka… save me…'

* * *

They had found Fuji's torn shirt on the vacant building's foyer. There were splotches of blood on the shirt and Tezuka instantly seethed in anger upon seeing it.

Echizen shivered slightly as he followed his team's captain into the building. They had worked together for 3 years, but he had never seen Tezuka so angry before. It was like something inside the usually ever so collected man had been snapped, like a demon being unleashed. He had always feared Tezuka in a way, but not like this. Not this kind of fear.

The golden eyed hacker forced himself to look away when he saw Oshitari helped Tezuka to hold a man down while the brown haired man touched the unfortunate man's throat with the tip of his gun. The man shook uncontrollably in fear, his adam's apple bobbed up and down from fear, yet his gaze locked to the furious man in front of him.

"Where's Fuji?" he asked icily and the man squeaked in fear. Tezuka pressed his gun more insistently against the man's throat. "I asked you where he is."

"I… Inside! He's inside! Please don't kill me. Don't.. please don't.."

"Who paid you to kidnap him?" Tezuka asked again and the man sobbed in fear. "Answer me."

"I don't know… " Oshitari held him tighter and Tezuka moved his gun on the man's throat up and down, as if to remind him how close he was to his death. "I don't know..! I swear I don't know his name! Said he owns a.. a design company or something.. and he'd pay us generously if we capture the boy alive.. please don't kill me.. please.."

Something flashed in Tezuka's eyes and he stilled his gun. "Hn. That Derveaux man. I should've known."

Oshitari released his hold on the man to walk further inside the building and the man sighed in relief. It didn't last long. Tezuka moved his gun from his throat to his mouth and fired.

Behind him, Echizen shuddered in his newfound fear towards his captain.

There were more guards inside the building. Oishi shifted his cane slightly to adjust his leg's movement when he had to shoot one who aimed his gun to Inui's back. A hand tried to capture him from behind, and Oishi lifted his cane and opened the bottom part's cover.

The man behind him crumpled down to the ground with a gaping wound on his chest.

Oishi stood above him with the knife on the bottom part of his cane soaked with blood. If the foolish guards thought he was an easy target just because he needed a cane to walk steadily, they were absolutely wrong. The wooden cane in his hand wasn't his weakness. It was his extra strength.

"Go find him, Tezuka! We'll manage!" Tezuka nodded his thanks wordlessly and dashed inside with Oshitari close behind him, while the rest of the team wiped the guards outside clean and cleaning up the mess. They didn't want to leave any witness or evidence behind.

"Is this the real you?" Oshitari asked somewhere along their sprint inside the building. Tezuka shrugged beside him. "Probably. What? Scared?"

They stopped in front of a heavy wooden door and took some deep breath, preparing to face their last barrier from saving Fuji. "Nah. I just feel sorry for the Derv-whatever. Don't torture him too much, kay?"

"I can't promise anything." Then Tezuka pushed the door open.

There were only 4 guards inside. All of them huddled together in the center of the room, where the chairs and tables were pushed aside to make some open space. Four of them were kneeling on the ground, holding something down for the fifth man with his shirt crumpled and the zipper of his pants wide opened.

Then Tezuka's eyes zeroed on the last person on the ground, the one who the guards held down.

It was Fuji. His eyes were vacant and wet from tears, his body bare and beaten, and his porcelain skin marred in cuts and blood and many more. And then there was blood and something else gushing out from his…

Tezuka growled in anger, and all hells break loose.

* * *

He felt nothing but rage. He shot like a madman, yet it was so precise that each shot hit the men's vital points.

Each shot was meant to kill and Oshitari didn't have to do much to help him.

Tezuka's eyes blazed in fury at the sight of the last man standing in the room. The man in the crumpled shirt opened his mouth to say something, but Tezuka wasn't there to hear any of his bullshit.

So he fired, purposely avoiding his vital points to torture the man some more, and the man screamed in pain. Tezuka heard him plead and he shot the man, again avoiding his vital points. Tezuka didn't want him dead, not yet. Then Derveaux switched his plead to bribes and promises, and Tezuka caught some words like 'have money' and 'how much' and 'cash' but he wasn't feeling human anyway. He had no other thought than letting the frightened man in front of him taste some piece of hell.

He shot again, and Derveaux screamed some more. He had lost so many bloods and Tezuka knew he won't last long. So the furious brunette contemplated his next shot and slowly he kneeled down to the one messy heap called Nicolas Derveaux and pointed his gun to the whimpering man's groin.

'Die, you son of a bitch'

"Tezuka…" a soft voice snapped him awake from his half possessed state and Tezuka stood up quickly, leaving Derveaux to Oshitari's mercy, and made his way to his fallen angel.

"Tezuka…"

The bloodied lips whispered his name over and over again. Each time softer than before, as if speaking took the rest of his energy away, little by little.

"Tezuka…"

The tall brunette took off his coat and draped it over his charge's body, then slowly, gently took the beaten figure into his arms. Fuji's whole body shook from his breathless sobs, but his grasp on Tezuka's shirt was so strong that his knuckles turned white and Tezuka had to hold him closer and make sure he wouldn't shatter into pieces.

"Shhh. It's okay. I'm here." He felt Fuji's sobs calmed down and Tezuka fought his longing to hold Fuji tighter because he was afraid that he would hurt him.

"Tezuka…" He lowered his head to brushed his nose against Fuji's nose softly, just to feel that the blue eyed angel was real and back on his arms again, cuts and bruises everywhere, but _safe _nonetheless. He felt, heard Fuji's shuddering breath mingled with his own and everything was okay then. All was well again.

He rocked his body softly, back and forth, Fuji cradled securely in his arms. "Tezuka…"

"It's okay. I'm here, and I'm not letting you go again."

He didn't let go, and Fuji wasn't letting go either.

* * *

NOOOO! *shoots self*

I hate myself for torturing Fuji like that. What am I, a closet sadist?

Anyway.. I'm so drained.

Leave a review and soothe my agony, will you *bats eye lashes*?

PS : this is my official goodbye to holiday and fulltime fanfic writing and pondering days. New semester starts on Monday, and let's just hope that university life will not kicks in that hard and will still let me write, okay?

Thx for reading ^_^


	11. The Glimpse of Their Pasts

**Disclaimer **: *search Tezuka and Fuji in the closet and find nothing*

Oh, rite. I don't own them.

**Warning **: This will not be a happy chapter. Not yet.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**The Glimpse of Their Pasts**

_There was a commotion downstairs. A shout, then a loud bang._

_And the 18 years old Tezuka Kunimitsu jerked up from his sleep. Panic quickly chased his sleepiness away and his heart beat loudly. He knew something had gone wrong. Very wrong. The Tezuka residence may located in the lower town which is far from peaceful, but it was still far enough from the busiest part of the gloomy town to give the entire Tezuka family lived in a relatively calmer area._

_But there was no calm that night._

_As another shouts came from downstairs –it was his grandfather's voice shouting loudly, his grandfather who rarely spoke a notch away from his tranquil, yet stern way of talking let alone let out a shout like that- Tezuka reached his pajama top and put it on in a flash. He was just moving past his bedroom door when the sound of another bang from downstairs reached his ears._

_Cold sweat running down his spine._

_It was the sound of a gunshot._

_Then another one, another one, another one, and Tezuka lost count._

_Trying to be as stealthy as he could, Tezuka peered down from his crouching position near the stairs._

_His eyes widened and his heart stopped._

_It was hell downstairs. There were blood and limp bodies everywhere. Dead bodies. And they were of his uncle, his aunt beside his, both had blood seeped out from their forehead. Then his younger cousin in the center of their living room, a gun in his dead hand. And… dear God, God.. it was his grandfather. Slumped down some feet away from his cousin with his wrinkled, gentle hand on his bleeding chest, his wise eyes vacant._

_Tezuka's pupils dilated in a panic attack._

'_God.. please tell me that this is only a nightmare. I must be dreaming… this.. this is not happening…'_

"_Why are you doing this? What… what have we done to you?" his father's voice was badly strained, and Tezuka didn't have to see him to know that he was in an intense pain._

"_You bastards killed my wife. My wife… you killer bastards killed my wife.." a cold, almost insane unfamiliar voice answered his father and Tezuka clenched his teeth and balled his fist and let anger burned and shook his entire being. Then the stranger laughed coldly, and there was another gunshot and a small grunt of pain from his father._

_Then nothing._

_Tezuka growled and stood up to rushed downstairs._

_But a hand stopped him. He turned around with his fist raised to defend himself, only to find himself staring into the gentle face of his mother._

_Tezuka's heart dropped in relief, "Mother… thank God you're okay! What's.." his mother put a finger in his lips to silence him. Then she slipped something in his trembling hand._

_Tezuka looked down to his hand and saw a bloodied gun there. It was one of his grandfather's guns._

_He looked at his mother confusedly, but she said nothing. She smiled and caressed his cheek softly, tears running down her pale cheeks._

"_Run Kunimitsu… Run and be safe, son…"_

_Something wetted his bare feet. And Tezuka looked down to his feet and realized that it was his mother's blood._

He was holding the limp body in his trembling arms, trying to get as close as possible without hurting. Tezuka nuzzled his nose to the younger man's softly, smelling what's left of the man's usually sweet scent, but found only the scent of fear and blood and sweat and abuse..

He caressed the soft, damp cheek of the unconscious Fuji Shuusuke softly, just like the way his mother caressed his own 10 years ago.

Tezuka gulped down the unfamiliar sour lump in his throat, his eyes blurry.

"_Do you think… do you think it will be better to just forget? You know, like, I'll have someone erased my memories and then leave this country, starting over again somewhere, away from here with a new identity and new life?"_

On the backseat of Fuji's wrecked car, on the way to Fuji's apartment and 10 years after the night his family died, Tezuka Kunimitsu finally let himself cry.

* * *

Eiji sobbed in half relief, half panic when he saw Tezuka walked into his best friend's apartment with the said best friend secured on his hold that night. He was glad that Tezuka had found his blue eyed friend, but the relief was short lived when he saw the state Fuji was in.

Bruises and cuts everywhere, and he was naked under Tezuka's coat which only covering for modesty but failed to give warmth.

The red haired patissier almost broke into a pitiful howl. "Is.. is he alright Tezuka? Wh.. Why is he naked..?" He saw Tezuka's jaw clenched and his blood grew cold when he saw the usually stoic man avoiding his questioning and worried glare.

"Di…did the kidnapper…?" The words died in his lips, too painful to be said. 'Did they rape him?'

He saw Tezuka held his best friend tighter, his eyes clenched shut momentarily in agony and guilt, and suddenly Eiji understood. The damage's been done, but Fuji was safe now. With that kind of thing happened to Fuji, Tezuka wouldn't let anything happened under his nose ever again.

He still remembered the almost too innocent kiss the two shared the night before and wondered how the hell things spiraled out of control in less than a day.

Eiji stilled himself and took a deep, calming breath. "Come on, Tezuka. Let's get him to his bed." Tezuka nodded and wordlessly followed Eiji's lead to the blue eyed man's bedroom, and then put his unconscious charge gently on the soft bed while Eiji stood beside him, his eyes following Tezuka's every gesture and his hands ready with a disposable medical washcloth and blankets.

Eiji then heard his best friend whimpered from the loss of Tezuka's hold on him, making Tezuka tensed from the fear of hurting him when he lowered him to the bed. Eiji's eyes widened slightly when Fuji, despite not being conscious enough to open his eyes, raising his hand slightly to reach the hem of Tezuka's shirt.

"Tezuka…" Fuji's voice was weak and rasped, and Eiji heard Tezuka's breath hitched vaguely. Hesitantly, Tezuka held the hand gently with his own shaking hand, his eyes glazed in something akin to unshed tears. "I'm here."

"'m cold…" Fuji unconsciously snuggled deeper to his pillow, but his hand didn't let the already wrinkled fabric go. "..don't go…" Tezuka freed the shirt from Fuji's grasp, but he took the hand into his own quickly and tightened his grip slightly when Fuji whimpered and then slumped from exhaustion on the floor beside Fuji's bed.

"I'm not letting you go. I won't."

The petite brunette sighed contently and slinked back into his sleep. And Eiji knew that things will be alright after all.

"Tezuka." A familiar voice came from the bedroom door, and Eiji turned his head and saw Atobe there, looking calm but unmistakably angry. He motioned Tezuka to follow him outside with the tilt of his head after throwing a sad lingering look to his sleeping childhood friend. Tezuka gently transferred Fuji's hand to Eiji's awaiting hand and brushed his hand on Fuji's cheek softly. "I'll be right back."

Left alone with his best friend on the spacious bedroom, Eiji let his tears fall.

"We love you, Fujiko… don't you get it? Each time something happens to you, you hurt us like this.."

* * *

Tezuka staggered from his standing position, his hand gripped the sofa's backside to hold himself up.

A wounded shoulder, a day of emotional wreck, and then he got an angry punch on the jaw.

With slightly blurred eyes, Tezuka eyed the angry man in front of him.

Atobe's stance was fierce and stiff, eyes glaring and his breath ragged. His hand was still balled into a fist, with the red hues on the knuckle after the diva landed a hit on Tezuka's jaw. To say that Atobe was being angry was an understatement. Tezuka shut his eyes closed for a while to calm himself. He was itched to return that angry punch, but at the same time he understand that Atobe was only losing control due to his fear of losing Fuji earlier.

Obviously, Tezuka wasn't the only who was in an emotional wreck that day.

"You deserve that, Tezuka. How can you let them kidnapped him? You were there, dammit! You should've protected him!" Atobe spat angrily and Tezuka clenched his jaw to restrain himself from making the Atobe heir unable to utter any more accusation.

He wasn't angry about the punch, and he did think that he deserved it for being unable to protect his charge, but what made him pissed was what Atobe said about him letting the blue eyed man being kidnapped. He did everything he could to protect Fuji and he certainly didn't want any harm to the young photographer.

"Did you try to save your own ass back then, Tezuka? You let them took Shuusuke so you could get away from them, didn't you? Did you think he's just another employer who worth no more than yourself? He's got people who love him, Tezuka! If anything happen to him, you're going to kill more than one soul, don't you get it?"

Something snapped inside him, and unable to stop himself, Tezuka landed a punch on the purple haired man.

"…too.."

Wide eyed and sprawled on the floor from the momentum of Tezuka's punch on his jaw, Atobe muttered confusedly. "What…?"

"I love him too, dammit."

* * *

The five of them were sitting with a cup of coffee on their hands, neither really cared about splotches of blood on their clothes. The ocean before their eyes looked so magnificent yet dangerous; the sounds of the waves crashing to the shore soothed their previously racing adrenalines.

The almost surreal, movie-like image of them sitting together in silence like that made Oshitari snorted.

Beside him, Momoshiro glanced irritably to him. "What so funny, you rogue informant?"

Oshitari laughed lightly. "Hey, no need to be so hostile, kiddo. I told you I have no business with you guys so you can take it easy now."

The young sniper glared. "You killed some of us. How can we take things easy with you, huh?" Beside him, Echizen snickered and gulped down his latte. "Don't you think that it's time for you to spill something out, Oshitari-san?"

On his right side, Oishi hummed softly with his hands playing with his wooden cane. The gesture seemed harmless and innocent, but Oshitari had stayed long enough with the group that day to know how dangerous they were. And he certainly knew about the knife hidden in the bottom of the raven haired man's wooden cane. He also realized that, judging from the wounds it caused on their opponents earlier, the knife was smeared with some kind of poisonous substance which made it much deadlier than it looks.

Oshitari gulped but he maintained his nonchalant attitude. "Well, you know… It's just business like usual. I received a specific order to annihilate them, that's all. There's no other bigger conspiracy. It's just me and the target, you see."

"Well you can tell us more about the order, then, since it's just our usual business." The blue haired man heard Inui said and cursed inwardly. 'What a stubborn bunch.'

"No can do, man. It's confidential, you should've known that. I'm not to tell the client's identity, and the order didn't inform me with the reason behind it." Oshitari wasn't lying. He _did_ know what the reason is behind Fuji's order, but he asked it to his employer himself and got nothing from the mission-form.

"Then, how do you know Fuji Shuusuke?"

Oshitari huffed loudly at Inui's question. 'This feels more and more like an interrogation.'

"I told Tezuka-san already. Fuji-san is my old friend." Momo gave him a dry laugh. "What kind of old friend, Mr. Informant? 'Old friend' defines a lot of meaning." Oshitari frowned slightly. He was getting annoyed.

"Do you really have to know my entire social life? What a nag."

The blunette saw two quick movements on his either sides, and before he could react, Momo's revolver was pressed to his waist and Oishi's knife was less than an inch away from his neck. Oshitari groaned loudly and closed his eyes while cursing inwardly. 'You guys are awfully stubborn, huh?'

"Alright… alright, if you really have to dig into my life story.. just, put your toys away from me guys, I'm uncomfortable." The two men beside him drew their respective weapons away from him, though hesitantly and still accompanied by suspicious eyes. Oshitari let out the breath he had been holding and hide his trembling hands in his pocket. He refused to look intimidated by the four men's presence around him.

"Believe it or not, I was never a lower town resident. If you check my citizenship data, I was born in this side of the town, from a relatively wealthy family. You see, I had a very wonderful childhood. I was spoiled rotten by my family." Oshitari chuckled sadly. "It wasn't last for long. My father caught in a depression after his company went bankrupt and when he grew distant from me and my mother, my so called mother had chosen to abandon us and left with all that's left in her bank account." Oshitari gritted his teeth in anger and Momo could see an old rage lit up Oshitari's usually mischievous eyes. "Bitch. If I wasn't so little I would've shot her myself."

"Well, to shorten the story, I chose to run away from home and freed myself from my insane father. It was winter, you know. The coldest winter in the past 20 years, and I had chose that season to throw myself into the street life."

Oshitari rummaged through his coat's pocket to grab a cigarette and a lighter. After a savory sip of his cigar, the spectacled blunette chuckled softly. "I was a foolish kid. I got no money, nothing but the clothes I wore. I was cold, I was angry, but most of all, I was scared. I didn't want to go back home, but I had nowhere to go either. I was so miserable I thought I was in hell already. Well, it was the first time I saw Fuji-san."

_Blue eyes. Blue eyes and soft brown hair and pale skin and cold, almost bluish lips. _

'_They said that hell is where everything melts from its heat. I wish I could tell them that everything is frozen here.'_

_The blue haired boy looked back to the figure after him. "Are you the angel of death?"_

"_Why are you so small?" The figure stepped closer, but Yuushi wasn't afraid. The angel is beautiful; he wanted to see her closer._

"_You are so beautiful, but aren't you supposed to have wings?" She tilted her head slightly. When she spoke, it was a soft, melodious sound Yuushi heard. "My mama calls me angel, but I can't be beautiful. I'm a boy. I'm supposed to be handsome."_

_Yuushi frowned confusedly, his eyes gleamed in curiosity. "But you are beautiful. Maybe it is normal for a boy-angel to be beautiful?" The angel shrugged. "Maybe. I don't understand. What is an angel, anyway?"_

_Yuushi blinked in confusion. "But you are an angel. Don't you know what you are?"_

_The other boy, now that Yuushi could see him closer, was a few years younger than him. He shrugged again and give his hand to Yuushi. "I don't care. Come here, will you? I'm cold.. Mama said that hugging will make you feel warmer."_

"He saved my life that day. If he weren't there offering his coat and warmth I'd never survived that winter night. He wasn't around for long, though. His family was looking for him and he told me that we're friends, and he will help me the next time I feel cold. He never told me his name."

Oshitari absently stroking the side of his cigarette with his thumb, and with the corner of his eyes he saw Momo put back his revolver inside the holster.

"I didn't see him again until about 6 years ago. He saved my life for the second time." Oshitari chuckled again. "It was ridiculous. I have done some job in the lower town back then, but it was the first time my job took a violent turn. I was shot and have lost a lot of blood, right in the border of the lower and upper town. I tried my best to crawl into the upper so at least someone will spare me a glance and get a help. Should I passed out in the lower town, they'll just let me bleed and die. Fuji-san saw me then. He didn't even waste another minute to figure out whether I was more in the upper or lower territory like most people would. He just grabbed me, and took me straight to the hospital."

Oshitari was quiet surprised when he heard Echizen asked him, "Did you recognize him then?"

Oshitari smirked. "Yeah, I did. I never forget that blue color of his eyes. There was a lot more sadness and bitterness, and no more innocent gleam on it like when he was little.. But I knew it's him when I gazed into it."

"Do you… love him?" Oishi asked slowly. Oshitari snickered inwardly. 'He's the sentimental one of the group, huh?'

"Nah. I adore him, I'll build a shrine for him, but I never want to own him."

"So, is it Fuji Shuusuke who hires you to murder some of us?" Inui asked with a strange glint in his glasses. Oshitari smirked again. "Told you it's confidential. It can be him, it can be someone else. Go ahead and have your own theory, I don't care."

The five of them stayed silent after that.

When Echizen yawned loudly half an hour later, Momo finally let out a relaxed laugh and stood up, saying something about tucking the baby to the bed. Simultaneously his teammates stood up and walked into their van, leaving the blue haired man behind them without any second glances.

Alone, Oshitari smirked and lit his cigarette.

'My gut's telling me that I'm going to cross path with them again. My, what a troublesome pack..'

* * *

Yanagi Renji sighed heavily while removing the stethoscope from his ear. The young doctor then turned his head to the other figures on the room. "Aside from the cuts and bruises, there are no particularly serious injuries. Fuji-san suffered a concussion on his head, courtesy of a hit from a blunt object, but hopefully it won't give him anything more that bad headache when he wakes up."

Eiji sighed in relief and Atobe smiled slightly to thank his doctor friend.

Renji's attention, however, directed to the last person on the room. "Why didn't you take him to the hospital?" Tezuka narrowed his gaze, his shoulder stiffen. "He panicked. He was barely conscious, but he knew that we were heading to the hospital. I don't really understand myself, but he seemed to be extremely afraid of the idea." Yanagi nodded in understanding, and Tezuka's stance relaxed. "He wanted me to take him home and nowhere else."

"It's understandable." Renji said calmly. "As I said, Fuji-san was not really badly hurt, _physically_. But we wouldn't know the state of his emotional stability until he wakes up."

Renji heard Eiji gasped in realization and shook his head in concern. "I suspect that Fuji-san was in a trauma of body contacts from those who is unfamiliar to him, and I think, from the state of the abuse he's been through, he will still be when he wakes up. So I warn you to be careful with him when he regains his consciousness. Warn him before you want to initiate a body contact with him, and never leave him alone with someone he's not familiar with."

Renji then packed his medical equipment into his bag, and took his coat from the chair near the coffee table. "I can't give you more advice than this. Atobe, I suggest you to ask the assistance of a psychiatrist if you think that things getting out of hand. What you should do when Fuji-san wakes up depends on how he reacts to his surroundings. If he was feeling trapped and afraid of this city, take him somewhere relaxing, away from here to ease his mind. But there's also possibility that he will be afraid with any new surroundings and locking himself up. If so, then you really need to call a psychiatrist."

* * *

_Hands. Touches everywhere._

_Gentle, so calming and gentle… it was his mother's._

_His father's was slightly demanding, yet still gentle and caring back then. Now his father never touches him again._

_A hand held his hand with a slight tug. 'Aniki… wait for me… wait for me…' It was Yuuta. Where is Yuusta now? Have he got someone who will hold his hand and wait for him now that he wasn't there?_

_Hand as gentle as his mother, it was his sister's. He missed her so much._

'_Fujikoooo, wakey, wakey… I baked a very good cake today, nyaaaa'. 'Shuusuke, when will you play that piano again?' His best friends touches are so familiar, a calming presence that told him that he never really alone in his life._

'_It's okay. I'm here, and I'm not letting you go again'. Tezuka. Tezuka. Tezuka held his hand and squeezed it slightly as if to tell him that he won't go anywhere without him, he is safe with him. His touches are gentle, often hesitant, but it electrified him each time; sparks in his eyes, butterflies in his stomach._

_Then there were other touches. It was rough, lustful. It bruised him and stain him and made him feel so dirty…_

'…_.think we struck him too hard? Oh wow, this guy's really pretty for a guy'._

'_..should be awake soon. Yeah, pretty, isn't he?'_

'_Playing with him should be fun…'_

_Stop it. Stop it. It's disgusting, it's revolting…_

'_You are sinfully beautiful, do you know that?' A searing pain came._

"NOOOO!"

He woke up drenched in cold sweat.

* * *

There you go.

Pardon my lack of update, I hope you readers are still out there. New semester kicks ass and I hardly find mine to sit down and write *sigh*.

I hope you'll still stick till the end, though.

And the reviews! They're lovely :) thank you so much **kolachess, Highwaycrash, secret25, yoshikochan, and Yereanth16** X) and I'm sorry that I haven't replied them yet. Promise I will the next time I find a free weekend, kay?

See you next chapter! Soon, hopefully :D


	12. The Pain of Letting Go

Yes, I am alive, people. Lots of things happened though, and I had some hard times coping with them

I'm very happy that there's still people out there who read this story even though I haven't updated it for so long. Special thanks and hugs for Yereanth16, kolachess, yoshikochan, and PhreshxxxBear who gave me their wonderful reviews. Your reviews are what keep me going with this story :)

Anyway, enjoy the story!

Disclaimer : I can't keep them for myself..?..No? Okay *give Tezuka and Fuji back to Konomi Takeshi*

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**The Pain of Letting Go**

He had been the one who saw everything that day.

The breakdown of Tezuka Kunimitsu, that is. After all, Oishi was making a fuss about something with Inui via his cell phone while driving Fuji's range rover in an insane (by Oishi's standard of driving) speed, and Inui was in another car making sure that Momoshiro wouldn't raise his gun and shot Oshitari somewhere along the way to their second meeting point at the beach. And Ryoma was observant enough to realize that his buchou was holding Fuji's limp body like a lifeline, and he knew that those droplets of liquid wetting his buchou's face was no sweat.

The golden eyed young man sighed and smirked slightly.

It had been heart breaking to see his role model broke down like that, but hey, he knew that Tezuka needed that. Despite everything that had happened to Fuji and the emotional roller coaster Tezuka felt, their meeting actually brought the real Tezuka back to his friends.

Ryoma sipped his warm latte slowly, reminiscing about several years ago, back on their early days as a team. Momo had been ecstatic about him and Ryoma being recruited into their small gang, but Ryoma was not really keen on the idea of being accepted into a 'bunch of childhood friends'. He had been skeptic about fitting themselves into the obviously close friendship between Inui, Oishi, and Tezuka; and he was so sure that a group consists only of childhood friends and newbies like him and Momo would make a very, very lame and useless team on the underground world.

Ryoma closed his eyes and chuckled slightly. "Lame my ass," he muttered almost inaudibly.

When he finally got to see the 'three childhood friends', he lost his ability to speak for a moment. The witty, sharp tongued Echizen Ryoma was turned speechless by the sight of the three of them, sitting so confidently inside that old, well kept coffee shop. Really, the three of them looked more like three generals from an epic historical movie and nothing like the useless, moronic fellas he had imagined.

Tezuka had looked like a person who could kill in one brief look, not that he was overly muscular or walking around with a deadly weapon in his hand, but the bespectacled captain had something in his demeanor that could make someone cower in fear should they try to mess with him. On the other hand, Oishi always had that gentle manners around the other people, but Ryoma wasn't fooled. The barista was friendly and didn't really look like he could hurt someone, but sometimes there was a flash of coldness in his usually gentle eyes, the kind of flash a strong fighter who tends to hide their true power has. As for Inui, he was intimidating enough with his all-knowing look and smirks, the kind of strategist and informant who made one thinks that he could read into their minds and their secrets. And the five of them made a very good team, after all.

They had shared that first impression stories among themselves before and it had been an old inside joke. They were a solid presence to each other, like the family they used to have, they share news and opinions and important secrets to each others, just like brothers do. But there was something that only the three older members and Ryoma –accidentally – knew.

It was the Tezuka Kunimitsu before the massacre of his family.

Ryoma had seen the entire album of it, buried deep in one of the dusty boxes in the coffee shop. It makes sense since the place was originally Tezuka's parents', and at first, he didn't understand why it was laying there, forgotten, when the other things were being cleaned and well kept by the three, as the memento of Tezuka's late family. But the more he looked into the albums, the smiling faces of the Tezuka family, the relaxed, younger faces of Tezuka, he began to understand. It had simply been too painful to see how much the tragedy changed Tezuka. He wasn't all smiling faces back then, but he was much more relaxed and open, and when he felt up to it he'd smile and laugh, just like normal youngsters do.

That night, holding Fuji Shuusuke on the passenger seat of the car, was the closest glimpse of the real Tezuka that Ryoma had ever seen.

Then there was a buzzing sound from his laptop, and less than 5 minutes later, Ryoma dashed out through the front door, almost forgot to lock it.

"_Meet me at the 5__th__ street. They've found a picture of our 'santa' –T"_

_

* * *

_

"Won't you eat a little, Fujiko? Please?" Eiji leaned over to the figure buried beneath the blanket on the bed, and the patissier gave his best pleading eyes to his best friend when those troubled pair of blue eyes peeked from underneath the blanket. The said best friend gave him a weak smile, unconsciously gripped the blanket tighter as if he wasn't ready to go out and face the world yet, "Sorry, Eiji… I'm not hungry.."

Eiji swallowed the sour lump in his throat. He knew Fuji was going to say no, but still, it hurts him so much to see his best friend in such state.

It had been 3 weeks since that kidnapping. 3 weeks and Fuji wasn't getting better. He still refused to eat unless Eiji or Atobe, or even sometimes Tezuka, had to force and feed him before he passed out from lack of eating. He was still reluctant of going out from the apartment and see anyone else besides Eiji, Atobe, and Tezuka, and when he had to, he clung tightly to whomever it was who accompanied him to his counseling session twice a week. The brunette spaced out a lot, and when he was with someone, he wouldn't take his eyes off of them, as if he was afraid of being left alone. The counseling session didn't help either, since Fuji wouldn't even talk with the counselor.

And at times like this when he was wary and tense from any physical contact, Eiji would bit his trembling lips and ignoring the burn of upcoming tears in his eyes; convincing himself that it was the shock that made his best friend refused to be touched and not something that he did. It frustrates him so much, hell, it frustrates almost everyone that there was nothing they could do when all they wanted to do was wrapped their arms around Fuji and just tell him that it's okay, everything's okay and nothing's going to hurt him anymore.

God, he missed the old Fuji so much; the one that hugged back each time he got a hug, the light in his blue eyes, the all-knowing smile..

* * *

The way to Seishun Orphanage was nowhere near pleasant. It was a long and bumpy, deserted road with no lights that leads to the rather large and old building of Seishun Orphanage. In the daylight, the road was just a dull, boring 4 km dusty road with lots of leafless trees. But at night, the road was beyond creepy. It was such an inhabited place where not even the very active thieves of lower town would operate at.

But for Ryoma Echizen and Momoshiro Takeshi, that long, bumpy road, held another meaning.

"I remember walking here, alone, and thinking that I'll be walking on a road like this until I grew old, and eventually I'll find myself already going around the world a couple of times. But then I finally found a place which would shelter me and feed me without any sort of payment," Momo grinned while driving his motorbike, the dusty wind didn't bother him at all. Behind him Ryoma snorted, "Nonsense. I bet you haven't even known that the earth is round that time, Takeshi."

"You know that I'll give you a kick once we get off of this bike, don't you?" Momo threatened. Ryoma shrugged indifferently, "Doesn't change the fact that you're stupid when you were younger, Takeshi. And another thing I know is that you kick like a girl. So, there, nothing to be afraid of, Momo-_chan_".

Momo opened his mouth for a reply when he finally spotted something at the end of the road. His annoyed face quickly morphed into an excited one when he saw the building clearer. "Ryoma, it's Seishun! Can you see it?" Ryoma patted his shoulder and grinned, "Stop wagging your tails, Takeshi. Of course I see it."

The moment they reached the front door of the orphanage, their childhood memories kicked in and the duo couldn't help but indulge themselves with a little reenactment from their childhood memory. The two supposedly grown up men ran noisily in the main hall, making 'woohooo' sounds with their mouths and hands like Indians from an old western movie and knocking every door in the hall.

They found out later that it was a pretty effective way to waking up a certain teacher who was in charge of that floor, which also happened to be one of their childhood friends.

* * *

Tezuka balled his hand into a fist and rest his forehead on the cool surface of that wooden door.

Inside, the scream he heard earlier had turned into sobs and frightened whimpers. Fuji was having another nightmare and he suspected that he would scare him even more if he came inside and shake him awake.

But that night, the nightmare seems worse than the previous ones, and he didn't know what to do. Should he come inside and check? Or should he just get back to his room since there was nothing he could do to ease his angel's pain?

Then his ears caught something that shattered all of his confusion, a flash of painful reminder of the event 3 weeks ago momentarily took over his mind.

"_Tezuka…"_

_The bloodied lips whispered his name over and over again. Each time softer than before, as if speaking took the rest of his energy away, little by little._

"_Tezuka…"_

_The tall brunette took off his coat and draped it over his charge's body, then slowly, gently took the beaten figure into his arms. Fuji whole body shook from his breathless sob, but his grasp on Tezuka's shirt was so strong that his knuckles turned white and Tezuka had to hold him closer and make sure he wouldn't shatter into pieces._

Tezuka gritted his teeth, wishing he could push away those rather vivid images to the back of his mind.. or better, somewhere other than his mind.

"_Shhh. It's okay. I'm here." He felt Fuji's sobs calmed down and Tezuka fought his longing to hold Fuji tighter because he was afraid that he would hurt him._

"_Tezuka…" He lowered his head to brushed his nose against Fuji's nose softly, just to feel that the blue eyed angel was real and back on his arms again, cuts and bruises everywhere, but safe nonetheless. He felt, heard Fuji's shuddering breath mingled with his own and everything was okay then. All was well again._

_He rocked his body softly, back and forth, Fuji cradled securely in his arms. "Tezuka…"_

He found that he couldn't, because just like that day, Fuji was chanting his name, calling helplessly.

Something snapped inside him. His mind blanked and he pushed the door open, reaching out to the call.

And being held in those strong embrace was like being sheltered from a sand storm for Fuji; he was finally able to breathe freely again.

* * *

"Shouldn't we do something already?"

Atobe sighed and took another sip of his wine, giving Eiji his skeptical glare. "We are doing something, redhead. Or are you trying to say that ore-sama haven't done anything for him?" Eiji groaned loudly and ran a hand trough his hair in an exasperated manner, "Noooo, that's not what I meant Atobe, and you know it. I mean, we did tried with all those therapy sessions and all, but… but he doesn't show any progress. Don't you think that a further treatment is needed?"

Atobe tightened his hold on the crystal glass and closed his tired eyes. It didn't take the faint throb in his head away. The warm bath he took earlier didn't, the aspirin didn't, and even the wine didn't help him relax. Usually at times like this he would find his comfort in a particular person.. but in this case he couldn't since that person is the source of his problem.

"Shouldn't we… you know, send him away to one of your villas abroad or.."

"No!" The word came so fast from his mouth that he even had a hard time realizing that he had said that out loud. "…No. We.. we can still do something without sending him away. Ore-sama refused to do that until at least one of us able to accompany him. We will not do such thing". Eiji narrowed his eyes in a barely masked accusation. "There is still Tezuka, right? We can ask him to.."

"NO! Not him! He failed us last time and ore-sama will not entrust Shuusuke's safety on his hand again," Atobe gritted his teeth in a suppressed anger, "That Tezuka had fail to protect him.. and ore-sama will not give him another chance to screw up again!". The Atobe heir then saw a blur of red moving towards him, and the next thing he felt was a sharp pain in his cheek, Eiji's face painted with obvious anger before his eyes. "You aren't the only one who's concerned about Fujiko, remember that! And I will not just sit back and watch you worsened his condition just because of your petty jealousy and rivalry towards Tezuka. Fujiko needs to be away from here, and letting Tezuka guard him is the only option!" The anger then subsided and Eiji's grip on his collar shook from a restrained sob, "You have to let him go, Atobe. This is for the best. I know it's hard.. but you know that… that he isn't yours to keep anymore. You do realize that, don't you? Just.. just let him go."

His mind went numb from the painful realization, and all he saw was fast forwarded events when Eiji left him alone to think and a crystal glass thrown to the wall –was that really him that had thrown it? –, the sound of shattered crystal didn't cease the sharp pain in his chest.

What Eiji said had felt even more painful, because he realized that Fuji was never his to begin with.

* * *

The strong hands held him tighter, molding his back and the warm chest together. He let out a shaky sigh and put his hands on top of Tezuka's bigger, warmer hands on his chest and shoulder. He felt Tezuka hesitates for a moment before the taller brunette finally put his forehead on his shoulder, and shivered lightly when Tezuka opened his mouth to speak; his warm breath tickled the skin of his shoulder.

"You're shivering… Does this scare you?" then the blue eyed brunette felt the hands slowly letting him go, and in an almost panicked manner he kept those hands around him with his clammy, cold hands. "No! don't.. don't let me go.. don't leave me.." he heard himself whimpered in a helpless way and he dreaded himself for sounding so weak, but he really couldn't help it. Fuji Shuusuke hates being helpless but this was Tezuka next to him, this was the only person he could ever feel safe to be around at the moment and he didn't really mind as long as he could keep those sense of security and warmth around him.

A few minutes later Tezuka felt Fuji's body relaxed in his arms and his breaths grew even. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes, expecting Fuji to have fallen asleep already. Sleep hasn't claimed him when he heard the petite brunette murmured softly.

"I'm so sorry".

Tezuka immediately alerted and opened his eyes. Softly, as he wasn't sure if Fuji was awake or merely sleep talking, he lifted his head from Fuji's shoulder, "..Fuji?"

The glimpse of his charge's tear stained face and blue eyes wide open, illuminated by nothing but the moonlight from the window took his breath away. Fuji was stunningly beautiful in the daylight, but moonlight made his beauty even more ethereal.

"I'm sorry, Tezuka."

His apology was barely audible, but Tezuka saw his apology clearly in his posture; his body tucked so defenseless in his arms, smaller hands grasping Tezuka's bigger hands with uncertainty but never letting go, and his tears wetting his pillow in his soundless cry. If Tezuka had any anger towards the photographer, the sight alone will be enough to forgive him.

But Tezuka wasn't mad at all, he was concerned and worried, and such sight shook his every self restrain and control and surged him with a need to hold that smaller figure and kiss away the tears that marred the beautiful face. So Tezuka did; slowly he turned Fuji around and shocked the smaller brunette with soft kisses on his wet cheeks and eyelids, tightening his arms around Fuji.

"Go ahead, apologize again. You do owe me a lot of them, you know."

Fuji whimpered softly and another batch of his tears wetted Tezuka's shirt. "I'm sor..sorry..Tezu.."

And a soft kiss on his lips stopped his apology.

Fuji's eyes widened and his breath caught, even after Tezuka's lips left his.

"..Te..zuka?"

Through his blurry eyes, wetted by his tears, he saw Tezuka gazing softly at him, a corner of his mouth curled in an almost invisible playful smirk.

"Why do you stop? I said you owe me a lot of apologize, didn't I?"

Fuji blinked rather confusedly, and stuttered, "S..sorry..?"

And he was awarded by another soft kiss on his lips. This time, he closed his eyes and savored that brief contact, his heart beat escalated and his worries and guilt began to drift away. Tezuka kept his face close to Fuji's, their breath mingled and noses almost touching. "That's for skipping dinners."

"..Sorry."

Another kiss, accompanied by a soft poke on his ticklish waist which made Fuji yelped in surprise, and Tezuka's smirk became noticeable. "That's for not calling me everytime you had nightmare". Fuji's tears didn't stop falling, but a genuine, small smile adorned his lips as he said his next apologize, Tezuka give him another kiss after that, saying what Fuji owe him for.

It was one of his many apologize that night, and Tezuka never made him apologize for the scar he got on his shoulder or the bruises on his body.

Eventually they fell asleep in each other's arms; Fuji having his much needed nightmare-less sleep and Tezuka calmed by Fuji's sweet scent. It was how Eiji and Atobe found them the next morning.

* * *

"Really, I thought the two of you would know better. It's late, for fuck's sake." Kirihara Akaya angrily escorted the grinning Ryoma and Momo to the head director's room in the top floor. "Come on, dude, you haven't even seen us for, how long has it been since our last visit? 4, 5 years ago? Don't you miss us?".

Kirihara gave Momo an annoyed look, "All right, say what you want. I'm going back to bed after I take you to Banji". Ryoma snorted, "Good to know that you don't stick your nose in another's business again, now, Akaya. You've grown up a bit, I see". Kirihara flashed Ryoma his evil, though sleep deprived smirk, "Talking about growing up, I heard the rumors that Inui Sadaharu-san drowned you in milk, like, what, 4 glasses a day? Just to get you to this height so that you won't be need a help in climbing or jumping something each time you guys are sent to a mission. Congratulations, Ryoma, _you've grown up a bit, I see_". Momo burst out laughing and that earned him a smack in his head from his hacker friend.

"Laugh all you want, Takeshi. I'll see your face when I get taller than you".

Right at that moment, an old man opened the heavy oak door of the head director's office. His face was mischievous, but his eyes betrayed the seriousness of the situation. "Hello boys, I'd really like to have a little chit chat, but I know it's late, so let's just get straight to the business". Momo and Ryoma quickly nodded and get into the office, while Kirihara stood contemplating at the door, 'so it _is_ a serious matter. I better not miss this, then'.

* * *

"What happened last night?" Atobe sipped his morning coffee with his eyes glaring to his best friends bodyguard. Tezuka, standing near the kitchen counter while holding his own mug of coffee held Atobe's glare with his own unwavering stare, "He was having another nightmare, or should I just left him alone next time?" Atobe huffed in annoyance, "So your idea of comforting someone is to being intimate and groped him through when he's asleep?" Tezuka put his coffee on the counter, slight anger flashed in his brown eyes, "Think all you want, Atobe-san".

Atobe cleched his jaw and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath to calm himself before making his way to Tezuka, his normally gentle hands balled into fists. "You don't get it, do you? He's all I've got, Tezuka. If you dare mistreated him, in any way, I'll make sure that you'll never be able to see tomorrow's sun. You get it?" Tezuka was slightly surprised at the way Atobe addressed himself as 'I' other than his usual 'ore-sama', but he kept his face expressionless, "I would never do anything to harm him, Atobe-san".

An awkward silence stretched between them. Atobe gave him his calculating look before turning around and lay at the big sofa, his arms over his head. He let out a heavy sigh, "Okay". Tezuka silently sipped his coffee and stare at the regal young man, suddenly realizing how drained everyone has been the last 3 weeks. A question probed the assassin's mind, but he wasn't sure how Atobe will react to his question. He took a cautious look around the living room, making sure that Eiji and Fuji were still busy with their morning chat in Fuji's bedroom.

"Do you love him, Atobe-san?"

Atobe froze momentarily before he rose and took something from his coat, his back to Tezuka, "Do _you_?" Tezuka could feel the answer on the tip of tongue, but he stopped himself from saying the word and decided to keep their conversation cryptic the way Atobe did. "You already know what my answer will be". Then Tezuka's sharp hearing caught something; he knew what it was and where it came from, and his heart beat faster. Should he tell Atobe his answer, or not?

"I know that you wondering why we, …no, I.. haven't taken Shuusuke somewhere else, away from this city. The reason is, because we can't". Tezuka blinked in confusion, "..Can't..?"

"As you already know, we can't let the words of Shuusuke's kidnapping out. We can't take any risk of the other rival companies knowing this… this misfortune happened and use it to their advantage. I have a very important contract to land with De Smedt Industry and currently, they're trying to monitor my every move. They will realize something wrong when I take the supposedly in vacation Fuji Shuusuke away from this city". Atobe took a sip at his coffee and flexed his fingers, "Eiji couldn't go anywhere either. He is the main patissier at the restaurant owned by one of Shuusuke's uncle. They knew how close Shuusuke and that Eiji is, and letting the words reached Fuji Tatsuya's ears is definitely not a good thing to happen at times like this. Shuusuke.. he doesn't need another pressure from his old man".

Tezuka's frown deepened, "Then what are you going to do? He needs to get away from this place".

"There is only one option," Atobe turned around, locking his gaze with Tezuka's, "We leave him in someone else's care". There was a soft click and Tezuka's eyes widened when he saw the revolver in Atobe's hand. "Now, tell me Tezuka, who should that person be?"

* * *

Kirihara thought of the whole event last night with growing curiosity, 'What are they doing with the photograph of a courier giving Banji an envelope? Is there any important thing tied to that courier?'.

_Ryoma's hand shook as he held that old photograph. He couldn't believe what he saw there._

"_I already told you that you won't like what you see, Ryoma-kun. Years ago, I didn't know who he is, but now.." Banji shook his head in concern. Momo banged his fist on the wooden table, "But this is impossible! There must be a mistake, old man! This person… he doesn't even know that this murder thing and related donation ever happened before our team investigates it!" Ryoma put his free hand on Momo's forearm to calm his sniper teammate down. _

"_Banji.. are you sure this is the right photograph? I mean.. there's no date in this picture, so it could've been any Christmas party in this place, don't you think so? We know this person and.. he doesn't seem to have any inkling to this event". Banji sighed and shook his head, "Take a careful look, Ryoma-kun. You and Takeshi-kun were in that picture, there, next to the Christmas tree in the background. This picture is taken accidentally, but the focus is quite good. There's no mistake". Ryoma and Momo looked at each other and saw the same incredulity there. Banji cleared his throat, "Surely you two are aware of the fact that it was your only Christmas party in this old place. This is the right picture, and he is the one you've been looking for"._

The wavy haired teacher of Seishun Orphanage frowned. He really should go out more and keep his ears on the newest gossips.

* * *

The head of the revolver was pressed to his chest and the bespectacled brunette felt his blood grew cold. "Tell me Tezuka, why should I believe you to take care of my most important person? Why you of all people, the one who failed to protect him before?" Atobe's words were cold, and Tezuka couldn't read his face. He gulped unconsciously and relaxed his stance; he won't give Atobe a satisfaction of seeing him being disturbed just because a revolver was being pointed to his heart.

"I do feel responsible for what had happened to Fuji," he heard Atobe growled softly, " And this is the only way I could make things better. I know that I can't undo the.. the damage, but it's my responsibility to make sure Fuji got better. I want to be there for him".

"Not enough reason for me". Atobe unlocked the safety of his revolver. Tezuka closed his eyes and sighed. 'What should I do to convince you, pampered bastard? Do I have to say _those_ words again?'

"Say what I want to hear, Tezuka. You do know what is it that I want to hear from you".

Tezuka took a brief look to Fuji's bedroom door. 'Should I..?'

"Say it," the revolver was pressed harder into his chest, "I don't want to entrust him to a coward's hands".

Those words marred Tezuka's patience,"I want to protect him, I _need_ to protect him".

"And why is that? Is it because you're his bodyguard?" Atobe sneered coldly.

"No," Tezuka took a deep breath, 'This is it. Once I say it, there'll be turning back'.

"..It's because I love him".

And he felt somewhat lighter, as if something heavy had been lifted from his chest at those words. He held Atobe's gaze with his determined brown eyes, trying to convey the genuineness of his words. He saw something sparked in the young businessman's eyes as the revolver left his chest..

..And pressed to forehead instead.

Behind the crack of Fuji Shuusuke's bedroom door, a pair of blue eyes widened.

* * *

...Too lame? Big fail?

tell me what you think people :)

someone pointed out to me that I have reached my 12th chapter.. and still no lemon yet *laugh*

seriously, i hope you guys who have enough patience to read this story will stick with me till the end, because, really, i dont want to rush things. I'd like to keep the story go with it's pace, and the number of chapters does not determine how far the story had gone. To be honest, I don't really know how much chapter will this story have, but I promise that I'll never abandon this story. This is my first fanfic.. so, yeah, this story is my baby and I am very determined to finish this story :)

but, hey, i value your opinion very much, so do tell me what you think. Should i keep this pace or fasten things a bit?

see you in the next chapter, and happy new year, everyone :D


	13. The Unleashed Shadows

What? Goodytoe's alive? And she's writing another chapter? .

Dear Anon, nias, usa-chan, Tezuka687, Yoshiko-chan, moribayashi, and kolachess, you guys rocks. Thank you for the reviews *wipes the happy tears*

**Disclaimer** : Yeah. You know the drill.

This chapter is dedicated to WhiteEnsigma :)

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**The Unleashed Shadows  
**

Eiji came back to Fuji's apartment after sending the young photographer off with Tezuka to his much needed spring break, then he grab his forgotten key car and shawl with much lighter steps. It wasn't only because he could finally take a rest himself from taking care of his best friend- he admitted to himself that it was tiring to see Fuji depressed and drowned in his trauma- but also because he had somehow played a part in disentangling a web that is Fuji Shuusuke's relationship problems. He was actually quiet perplexed at first when he saw Atobe, whom he thought will fight with teeth and nails with his ego just to let Fuji off his sight, walking Fuji to his car calmly like a father who had practiced a lot to hand over his daughter to the waiting groom on the aisle.

Eiji snorted softly. Yes, it was exactly like that.

The silver haired businessman was saying his 'take care, Shuusuke' with, surprisingly, only a soft peck on the cheek, then opened the door to let Fuji slid inside the car where Tezuka had been waiting beside the driver seat. The highlight, however, was the warning glare he sent Tezuka right before they drove off.

It was the glare Eiji had seen on his sister's wedding when his father meant to tell his son in law 'never hurt my daughter, I'm watching you' kind of look.

The red head then softly shook his head in amusement.

Both of them are such a piece of art. Atobe doted on Fuji like a brother to his baby brother, yet it was Fuji who always cleaned up the mess from his tantrums and whimsical acts. He often set Fuji in high class blind dates with his acquaintances, but he purposely snatched the brunette's dates away like a jealous man. And this morning, he played his part of being Fuji's father.

The relationship between them was somehow platonic but not so. They never own each other and Atobe mostly keep his hands off Fuji except when the young photographer need to be comforted, but Eiji knew that Fuji let Atobe kiss him whenever his best friend needed to stake his claim on him.

He could never understand those two.

Right before he left the spacious apartment, Atobe came in and silently walked into the kitchen to pour himself a glass of wine. Eiji grinned at his attempt to straighten his unusually slumped shoulder.

"Well done, your majesty. It sure wasn't easy to let go of your precious daughter to the knight, was it?"

Atobe groaned in annoyance, "Talk all you want, commoner. Ore-sama only did what's best for him."

The stingy reply only made Eiji's grin widened, "Ne, Atobe, last night was hard for you, huh? Congratulations for finally acting like a grown up, but don't you think that the revolver was a little bit over the top?" Atobe glared some more at him and sipped his wine slowly in a measly attempt to hold his temper, "Not very sweet mannered without Shuusuke around, are you?"

Eiji laughed softly, "By now I thought you understand already that I act like that only with Fujiko. He is a middle child, Atobe. Without Yuuta-kun around I am the one who has to play the role of little brother for him."

Atobe swirled the wine inside his glass with his usual graceful, regal manner. Slowly, his annoyed expression morphed into a mischievous one, "Well, it was worth a try, though. I was hoping that those stony expression of his would scrunched up in panic or fear.. even a little shaking, weak knee reaction would be good." Atobe sipped his wine a little and huffed rather loudly, "But damn it, he was only standing there like a statue with a martyr air.."

"_And why is that? Is it because you're his bodyguard?" Atobe sneered coldly._

"_No," Tezuka took a deep breath, "..It's because I love him"._

_Tezuka held Atobe's gaze with his determined brown eyes, trying to convey the genuineness of his words. He saw something sparked in the young businessman's eyes as the revolver left his chest.._

_..And pressed to his forehead instead._

_Tezuka's eyes widened for a split second before his formerly tensed posture relaxed and he closed his eyes slowly, as if he was entrusting his life in Atobe's hand._

"_Open your eyes, damn it." Atobe muttered harshly and Tezuka obeyed him with an eerie tranquility._

"_This is my last warning to you. You better take care of him, Tezuka Kunimitsu. If I ever find even a single scratch on him.." the revolver was pressed harder as if it meant to leave a mark on his skin, "..I'll definitely use something more painful than this gentle, painless revolver to make you pay."_

_Tezuka's stare hardened, "Understood."_

_Atobe held his gaze, and time seemed to tick slow for both of them. And finally, Atobe moved the revolver from the tall brunette's forehead._

_To Tezuka's horror, he carelessly throw it to the sofa.. without even putting the safety lock on._

"_..Atobe-san.. The revolver.."_

_Atobe raised his brow and smirked, as he sat calmly on the comfortable seat, "What? Scared?"_

_Tezuka gritted his teeth in annoyance, "It's dangerous to throw it like that without the safety lock, Atobe-san. Someone could get hurt. _You_ could get hurt."_

_Much to the bespectacled man's chagrin, Atobe only smirked wider and shrug in a nonchalant manner._

"_The revolver's empty, you know"._

_

* * *

_

Going out of the city, Tezuka decided, was a very good decision.

That conclusion came as he silently pondering about Fuji's behavior once they were crossing the city's boundary and taking the less crowded roads to reach their destination : a villa in the Yamanaka mountain, about 4 hours driving from the city. It was one of Fuji's childhood holiday houses, and nobody had been there for so long that it was almost practically forgotten. No one would expect Fuji to use that abandoned villa, thus made it a very convenient place of getaway.

Besides, Fuji had gone considerably more relaxed and less fidgety the further they were from the city's boundary, and Tezuka inwardly cursing himself for not confronting Atobe sooner if it means getting Fuji out of that place.

Being alone with his charge, however, means another problem for himself.

In the night he confronted Atobe, he was pretty occupied with the revolver poking his chest and then his forehead, but he was a well trained fighter and thus his senses was still pretty sharp to not being oblivious to the fact that a certain someone had been listening to his dramatic love confession.

And that person, who had been driving beside him for 2 hours, has yet to say something about that little confession of his. The bespectacled brunette didn't really know what to expect from the blue eyed man, but he wasn't ready for the awkward silence they were currently having. He didn't really know what to say to Fuji, and Fuji was obviously trying to act like nothing had happened between them. And to make things even more awkward, it would still be a couple of hours before they reach the villa and a car is definitely a rather cramped space that if Tezuka just hold his hand out, he would be able to touch the still-driving-in-silence Fuji.

It took a lot of will to keep himself in check and not just grab that slender body and shake those shoulders to make his blue eyed angel say something regarding his confession, or just caress that smooth cheek to see if Fuji going to flinch and pull away from his touch now that he knew that Tezuka's feeling towards him was far beyond the professional boundary.

Tezuka's fingers itched to touch those slightly pouting lips and kiss it senseless, and he fisted them tightly to ease the itch away.

_So close.. yet so far away._

Tezuka gulped and wished the car would move faster.

* * *

The European style villa was still as beautiful as Fuji remember it to be, even though almost 6 years had passed since his last visit. The last 6 years had been a tough time for him; disagreements with his father, mountains of works, dozens of failed relationships, another truck-load of works, and then more disagreements. He simply couldn't find the will to visit the villa where the memories of his happier days are the most apparent when in reality all those problems choked him and forced him to swallow the bitterness of adulthood he wasn't quite ready to embrace.

The wooden floor creaked a little when they stepped in, but Fuji wasn't expecting the place to be very clean and well kept. He smiled a little, realizing that it was most likely Atobe's doing that someone had already cleaned the place and prepared it for them. As his blue eyes scanned the room, memories came to him like a broken dam.

There was the cozy antique sofa in front of the fireplace where his mother used to sat surrounded by her children, she would always laughed happily and told them stories until they fell asleep from her calming voice and the warmth from the fireplace, and leaving their father the job of carrying them back to their respective rooms. And then there was the kitchen where his mother used to make her famous apple pie, and after she passed, it was her sister's who baked it for she was the only one who knew the secret recipe from their mother. The brunette's eyes softened and he let out soft, unforced chuckles as he let his fingers ran over the antique tea table his mother loved.

He was lost in his memories until he felt a tender, comforting squeeze on his shoulder. It was supposed to be a comforting gesture, but Fuji felt somewhat guilty when it gave him a completely different effect. He felt blood rushed to his face and his body tingled all over from such a simple gesture.

"_..It's because I love him"_

He flinched involuntarily from the still too vivid image of Tezuka's confession and he wondered if Tezuka knew that he was watching every second of that little event with Atobe from his bedroom. Questions running through his head at once and he suddenly felt suffocated. What was Tezuka's intention? Why did Tezuka fell for him of all people? Where were they going from that point? Why was it all so complicated? Could he just make things easy? Could he just embrace whatever it was that Tezuka offered him?

But why, why didn't Tezuka say anything? Was those words meant nothing, then?

Then Tezuka's hand left his shoulder, and those sparks of warmth left him and he suddenly felt so cold and alone. And when he saw Tezuka's dejected face and slightly unsure gaze, he froze in cold revelation and wondered if he was the one who supposed to say something after all.

* * *

It was their second day in the villa when Fuji simply couldn't take the tension between him and his bodyguard anymore that he finally blurted out what had been bothering him, straight to the point.

"I heard what you said that night, you know," his gaze burned in a slight anger and he was so sure Tezuka, who had his back to him as he stood at the terrace, could feel his gaze. Fuji was feeling a rare feeling of nervousness and insecurity, but he was glad that his voice came out firm and undisturbed.

"…I know," was the only answer Tezuka gave him. It was weird, but Fuji wasn't really surprised to hear that answer. He plastered his usual mask of nonchalant on his face before he step outside to the terrace where Tezuka stood. The fresh spring air calmed him a bit and he breathed it in, feeling it soothed the tightness he felt in his chest.

"Then why?" _why did you say it?_

Tezuka turned around and locked his eyes with his, and the calming air was knocked away somewhere else. He couldn't breathe.

"It was meant for you to hear".

It was his reflection he saw in Tezuka's eyes. Those brown eyes looked so sure and honest, it held no masked intensions or greed he sometimes saw in his past lovers and suitors. Fuji visibly gulped. Should he really do it? Should he move forward and embrace whatever it was that Tezuka offered?

As if reading his thought, Tezuka took one step to shorten their distance without breaking their gaze.

"I can't promise you happiness, Fuji. I can't promise you anything". _I don't know what future holds for us, but I'm willing to give this a try. With you._

Fuji shook his head slowly, but he wasn't able to look away from those magnificent brown orbs. "There's so much you don't know about me, Tezuka". _Do you even know how tainted, how impure I am?_

"We have a lot of time to learn". _You also know nothing about me._

Fuji knew that this could be another heart break story. Tezuka could be another person who will be taken away from him or leaving him once he gave Tezuka his all. There was no definite future for them, and maybe there was someone else out there, someone better for Tezuka.

But his legs already moved forward without his logic agreeing to it, his arms moved without his consent, his body had stopped listening to his reasoning and gave in to a desire, to a need he could no longer ignore named Tezuka Kunimitsu.

As soon as he reached those waiting arms, he felt himself lifted from the wooden floor by Tezuka's steady hold, and when he felt gravity pulled him he wrapped his legs around his bodyguard's waist and locked his arms around Tezuka's neck. They held each other tightly, but it wasn't close enough for them, not when even a split of air between them felt like a distance where reality could kicks in and took their chance and guts away.

Their breaths mingled and when their lips finally met in a passionate lock, it was neither fireworks nor sparks he felt. It was warmth, all over his body.

It was relief, just like he felt when he finally found something that had been missing for a long time.

He could taste the coffee Tezuka previously drank, and Tezuka could tell that it was the sweetness from the cake Fuji ate which he tasted. Everything, every little detail of that moment felt incredibly real but unreal at the same time, but they both knew that it didn't matter either way.

Then air became a necessity and they reluctantly broke their kiss, their foreheads touching. Tezuka opened his eyes slowly and took the sight on front of him hungrily. Fuji's forehead against his was warm, his beautiful face flushed, rosy lips wet and swollen from his kiss and wrapped in his arms he could felt Fuji's ragged breathing; in and out, in tandem with his own breath. He savored Fuji's sweet scent and his warmth, and he couldn't help but letting his ego soared because he knew that it was he that had made this beautiful man looking so defenseless and putty in his arms.

'God, if you ever exist, please. Don't take him away from me again. Never, never let anything hurts him again.'

He gave Fuji another kiss and trailed soft kisses along the smaller brunette's jaw, then mapping his way back to his blue eyed lover's kiss swollen lips with his slightly wet ones. Fuji felt his eagerness and chuckled softly, slightly out of breath from Tezuka's kisses. "Don't you want to hear my answer first, Tezuka?" he said in amusement as he let his fingers ran through Tezuka's brown tresses.

Tezuka lifted his brow, "Don't you need to know if wasn't playing a cruel joke?"

Fuji laughed then, his first genuine laugh after weeks of pained smiles, and Tezuka felt his insides tightened knowing the fact that it was he, he of all people, who brought that melodious laughter back.

They kissed again, the fourth of their many kisses that night.

Because both of their questions earlier need no further proof or answer, for they could finally _feel_ and it worth more than any verbal explanation.

* * *

The sky was so clear that night, and though the wind was very cold, Tezuka couldn't say no when Fuji gave him _that_ smile which made his knees go weak and ask him if they could sit outside and enjoying the panoramic view of the night sky.

It took his all not to smile goofily like a love-drunk teenager when Fuji snuggled closer to him, seeking for the extra warmth that his coat and blanket could not provide. He took that slender figure into his arms and onto his lap, and as he buried his face on the side of Fuji's neck to steal some warmth and inhale Fuji's sweet intoxicating scent, he marveled on how easy Fuji wormed his way into his aching heart and healed it. Tezuka tightened his hold on the smaller brunette and kissed the back of his ear as a silent gratitude of that happiness he gave Tezuka just by simply being there in Tezuka's arms, by simply being okay and safe within Tezuka's reach.

The stoic bodyguard marveled on how easy it was to be happy after all those lonely years after his family's death.

"Ne, Tezuka," Fuji said as he took a hold of Tezuka's hand on his waist, "Tell me about your family."

Tezuka let out a small, contemplating hum as he trailed butterfly kissed along Fuji's neck that made Fuji shivered slightly. "Not much to tell, I guess. I lost them, about 11 years ago, in a.. an incident."

Fuji awkwardly turned his neck to give him a comforting peck on his forehead. The bespectacled man knew that it was his signal to continue. "My parents owned a coffee shop. It wasn't a big one, but very cozy. After they passed away, I gave the shop to my friend, Oishi. He's a barista so I figured he'll do much better than me. He said that I'll scare the customers away."

Fuji chuckled lightly, "Mou, Tezuka, you really should smile more. You're actually very good looking, you know". Tezuka couldn't resist giving those rosy lips a well deserved kiss, "..I'll save the smile for work". Fuji lifted his brow in a slight challenge, "And what is your work, Tezuka Kunimitsu?" Tezuka bit his ear gently and Fuji gasped sharply, his eyes unconsciously drifted close. "Pleasuring my boss," Tezuka whispered in his ear and Fuji laughed in amusement, "That's kind of cheesy, Tezuka. Come on, tell me more about your family. Do you have siblings?".

"No, I don't." Tezuka then told him about his grandfather and how they used to go fishing together, and about his boring uncles and aunts and little things about his family that he remembered. He knew that there were gaps in his story, some important facts that he could not tell Fuji, like where they lived and other things about lower town. He realized that Fuji was most likely knew that there were things he didn't tell, but he was very grateful when Fuji only snuggled closer and remain an attentive listener.

But soon, the tall brunette ran out of stories to tell for he usually wasn't a talkative person anyway. They settled for a comfortable silence before Fuji started to tell him about his own family.

"…And they said that I looked a lot like my mother. I got these blue eyes from my mother, I guess. And our hair color was also exactly the same, but her hair is much longer and a bit wavy.. Can you imagine how she looked like, Tezuka?"

_Hazy blue eyes struggled to stay open, tears mingled with splotches of blood on her pale cheeks. "..home..kids.." Her raspy breath moved the hairs that escaped her bun on her face, her wavy honey brown hair was a mess._

_Long, slightly wavy honey brown hair.. _

Tezuka winced at the sudden sharp pain on his head. '..What the..?'

The scene around him swirled. And white spots began to mar his vision.

_Soft, honey brown hair soaked with deep red; blood on her blouse, blood on her face, blood everywhere._

"…_suke.."_

_There was a beautiful glow from her ring finger, a very beautiful blue gleam. It was a very beautiful sapphire, as blue as her now lifeless eyes. _

"..and then Yumiko-neesan would say… Tezuka?" A soft hand caressed his jaw, "..Are you okay? You look a bit pale.. Should we just get back inside?"

Tezuka squeezed the hand on his jaw softly. "Hn, it's all right. I'm okay."

Fuji frowned and opened his mouth to argue, but Tezuka cupped his face with his hands and kissed him, swallowing his protest. "Let's just here a little bit longer. I'm okay."

No he was not. His head hurt like hell.

* * *

Tezuka, Oishi, and Inui had been friends for as long as they can remember. And just like a solid team, they had unwritten rules that was pretty much like a job division between them.

Tezuka will always be followed as the leader between the three of them, but every time they had to decide on anything, be it small matters or a major problem, it was Inui's predictions and calculation who will determine the end of their discussion. And among the three, it was Oishi's intuition that they trusted the most.

That night at the coffee shop was no different either.

When Oishi suddenly barged into the kitchen with a confused look on his face, Inui immediately stopped his merry juice-making charade and nodded readily when his barista friend said, "I don't know why, but I have a feeling that something big is going to happen.. We should see Momo and Echizen."

Oishi was right.

The moment they stepped inside Tezuka's cramped apartment, Momo practically shoved them to sit on the sofa. Echizen kept his mouth shut, but there was a brief look of anger on his gaze. It was enough to alert the two seniors that something went very, very wrong.

"…Did something happen?" Oishis concerned voice somehow eased that look of anger in Echizen's eyes and made Momo groaned tiredly.

"We just realized that there's still a lot we don't know about buchou and you two. Apparently, we don't know each other that well, Oishi-san, Inui-san." Their youngest member said coldly and Inui's brows furrowed in confusion.

"..What the hell are you talking about, Echizen?"

Echizen gave them a cold silence, and Momoshiro finally decided to take over.

"There's.. a situation, something that we need to confirm. Me and Ryoma… we went to Seishun and we received information regarding Fuji Yoshiko's case."

Oishi's eyes widened in surprise and Inui's glasses glinted in interest.

"We got a photograph of the Christmas party.. the one which only days away from her death. We.. we got a clear view of the person who delivered the cheque from the late Fuji Yoshiko, the one who we assumed playing a big part of her assassination. It was a lucky shot, I guess. The focus wasn't very good, but it's still clear enough to..you know, recognize the person." Momo fidgeted uncomfortably and the way he crossed and uncrossed his arms almost made him looked like he was trying to sink himself further into the sofa.

Echizen then threw the old photograph to the coffee table between them, and upon seeing that picture, Oishi had openly gaped in shock and Inui instantly shot up from his seat to look at the thing in disbelief.

"Don't even bother to ask if it's genuine or not. I had check in every method I know to make sure that it wasn't modified in any way," Echizen eyes glinted dangerously, "you got any explanation, senpai?"

Oishi's hand shook as he lifted the photograph and took a closer look at it.

The person who was handing the envelope to Banji wasn't a stranger to them. He was much younger and had a disturbingly haunted look on his face, but they wouldn't have mistaken him with someone else.

The proof sat before their eyes. The one who delivered the envelope was no other than Tezuka Kunimitsu.

* * *

That, my dear readers, was NOT a cliffhanger. It was another piece to complete the puzzle! We're getting closer to the complete picture, people! Fufufu…

This chapter is.. I dunno. I was very dissatisfied with it. I wrote and stopped to frown, then I probably pressed backspace even much more than I typed.

Aaanyway, those hardships is something I had to endure – come on, what wouldn't I do for our perfect pair? This chapter is dedicated to WhiteEnsigma as a bribe for updating her fic, fufufu. Yes, I would even bribe someone for some good fics. I'm into shady business now, people. Now I want you to start bribing me with reviews for the next chapter.

Go on and offer me your best bribe. This fic is not cheap, you know.

…joking, ladies. Don't worry, I'll be back to my humble persona on the next chapter. I just need an ego boosting sometimes, teheee.


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